WOMEN SPECIAL..SHARP NETWORKS OF WOMEN

Women Execs Forge Links

Groups outside and within company structures train and mentor women in carefully charting career goals, branding their skills, holding their own in a male-dominated world and nurturing ambitions to climb the corporate ladder

In 2009, Prameela Kalive, head, emerging markets of Zensar Technologies, approached her chief executive Ganesh Natarajan and group chairman, Harsh Goenka, confidently with her next goal: To be a part of the senior management cadre. The CEO and chairman pointed out areas where Kalive would have to sharpen her skills and knowledge to take on the goal she aspired for. Kalive subsequently took on added responsibilities, and from April 2012, the organisation will help polish her skills for her future role.

A few years before this, Kalive may never have dreamt of going up to her bosses and stating her ambition. Her association with WILL Forum, or Women in Leadership, a corporate networking group for women executives, helped her drum up the confidence to clearly state her ambition.

While the old boys’ clubs across Corporate India hang out for a drink after work to network and put their careers on a fast track, networks for women executives, both within the regular corporate setting and outside, have ensured that they don’t get left out. So, if The WILL Forum helps women executives navigate the corporate world, companies such as General Electric, Procter & Gamble and Google have started internal women’s network programmes as part of their diversity initiatives. It works both ways: Women executives get an opportunity to break through thick corporate walls, and companies make the best use of available resources in a talent-scarce world.

“Women’s networks are needed to change the language and perspectives in the business workplace, to move from diversity and a patronising outlook to understanding the critical business case for women. It is about balanced leadership,” says Poonam Barua, founder chairman of WILL. The forum offers executive education to women employees across areas such as building the power of self, navigating corporate dynamics and building executive presence.

Here’s the case for building such networks: There are fewer than 5% women board directors in Indian companies, and less than 10% women in senior management, according to WILL Forum data. “Top executives stress that there is a level-playing field,” says Barua. “However, this is belied by WILL Forum discussions involving over 3,000 women executives.”

At these sessions, mentees are encouraged to discuss their career goals for the next five years, list their ambitions, strengths and weaknesses, and finalise a plan. The next step is to convey that goal to the organisation.

“The mentoring taught us not to fight shy of projecting and personal branding. Meritocracy is non-negotiable, but interactions in terms of discussing each other’s goals and aspirations, learning to hold conversations in the area of business, solving work dilemmas and thinking business is a critical part of WILL mentoring,” she says. The annual, five-day-long cross-industry mentoring programme, called ‘Creating Women Business Leaders’, has senior executives from a cross-section of companies mentoring women executives. The ‘WILL Executive Education for Women’ programme, on the other hand, is held within companies for 25 mid-level and senior women executives.

“The network is doing a great job of putting moral and social pressure on decision-makers to change mindsets. The best part about WILL is that it is not just encouraging women to get on board, I see many men signing up to support the cause,” says Rajesh Dahiya, president human resources, Axis Bank.

At GE, participation in the women’s network is open to all employees. Nearly 3,500 women across 15 cities are part of the network, which is run by senior women employees in close conjunction with business heads. “We are keen to get more women into commercial roles such as marketing and sales... We are introducing them to successful people in commercial roles and new CMO Ipsita DasGupta is actively mentoring them,” says Vishal Wanchoo, vice president – growth initiatives, GE India.

Google re-launched and re-branded all its women’s groups such as Google Women Engineers, Women’s Leadership Community and Women’s Professional community, led and driven by women employees under the ‘women@Google’ umbrella. “The network provides networking and mentoring opportunities for women across Google. This offers them targeted educational and professional development opportunities by using existing resources,” says a company spokesperson.

Internal women’s networks are a key enabler for driving gender diversity at P&G India, says HR head Sonali Roychowdhury. “Our networks include women’s coaching programmes where women leaders mentor younger managers and share experiences; training sessions that help women navigate various life and career stages, as well as mentoring platforms tailored for women working in challenging fields such as sales and plant operations,” she adds.

All in all, the networks aim at driving excellence. As Sangeeta Singh partner, HR KPMG India, says, “Networking is a happy by-product. The focus is on getting women into leadership roles in organisations on pure meriotocracy.”

A New Bond WOMEN’S NETWORKS: A LEARNING & GROWTH OPPORTUNITY

T h e W I L L Fo r u m

STARTED in 2007 OFFERS executive education to women employees across areas such as building the power of self, executive presence, and navigating corporate dynamics HAS women executives share cross-industry and peer-learning experiences HOLDS annual, 5-day mentoring programme across industries, called ‘Creating Women Business Leaders’

CONDUCTS ‘WILL Executive Education for Women’ programme within companies for 25 mid-level and senior women executives

G E WO M E N ’S N E T WO R K

RUN by senior women employees in conjunction with business heads

CONNECTS

3,500 women across 15 cities FOCUSES on promoting women in technology, engineering and commercial roles

G O O G L E WO M E N ’S G RO U P S

RELAUNCHED and re-branded Google Women Engineers, Women’s Leadership Community and Women’s Professional community under the ‘women@Google’ umbrella FOCUSES on including women in leadership positions

NETWORK offers targeted educational and professional development opportunities using existing resources

TA L K I N G H E A D

Women’s networks are needed to change the language and perspectives in the business workplace, to move from diversity and a patronising outlook to understanding the critical business case for women.

KALA VIJAYRAGHAVAN MUMBAI ET120320