As women continue to become a stronger force than ever before in the professional workplace, the benefits of supporting women in leadership roles are becoming more apparent. An effective leader understands the importance of supporting females in any position in the company, regardless of how big or small the role may be. These female employees are likely to grow into leadership roles in the future, so it makes sense to take care that they are always evolving in their career advancement. Here are three tried and true tips that managers can employ to ensure that they are encouraging and supporting the female employees in their company to reach their full potential in all facets of professional development.
Make training central to the job
Savvy managers recognize the need to provide support and guidance to their staff through the use of quality training opportunities. By identifying and cultivating good leaders from within, managers are able to grow their staff and provide more opportunities for other employees. A strong mentorship program and financial support for offsite training functions are practical ways to encourage employees to continue striving to improve their professional lives. It is especially critical for female leaders to model the importance of continuing education in the field. Quality training benefits all employees and greatly helps women who are moving into leadership roles.
Encourage time off for development
Providing the financial support to support development is not the only factor in a successful training program. Managers must also provide support by encouraging employees to take time off for both professional training as well as discretionary time away from the office. Female employees regularly report dissatisfaction with their home life and work balance due to how much of their time is taken up by work. Good leaders recognize the need to always support these employees as they strive to achieve a healthy balance in those two worlds so that the two complement each other rather than fight for attention. Women can feel an added pressure of not spending as much time at home, so it’s important for employers to be understanding when employees do need to take time off to focus on their personal lives.
Give women special roles
Women wanting to move forward in their careers need to learn the satisfaction that comes with taking an ownership in a specific role or project. Professional managers can strive to help these employees achieve their goals by intentionally assigning management projects to female employees so that they can grow in their careers. Identifying female staff that would be good fits for a variety of managerial projects is the first step. Make sure you’re not being unconsciously biased and not giving female employees as many leadership opportunities as men receive.
Originally published at medium.com on August 13, 2018.
Originally published at medium.com