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A Program to Promote Women with high leadership potential

Company name : Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LIST)

Activity sector : Other

Company category : Public sector

 

Define a diversity policy

Description of the action

The LIST program for women with high leadership potential is a diversity andinclusion initiative specifically addressing thegender aspects of the LIST D&I Charter. The program aims to increase the proportion of women in key positions in both research and management. To achieve this, we have developed a program to identify existing talent, motivate women to actively shape their professional  development, and prepare them to take on leadership roles.

Context

Diversity andinclusion management is firmly anchored within the organization. A key principle of LIST is to provide all employees withequal opportunities for development, foster their professional growth, and enable a healthy work-life balance.
Women are underrepresented in LIST’s research units and leadership positions. To address this, we have taken steps to implement long-lasting changes within the institute. The goal of this initiative is to improvegender balance in research and technology positions, empower female employees to break through the “glass ceiling,” and create a community of highly qualified female researchers within the institute.
The initiative was developed and implemented as part of our participation in MEGA’s “Actions Positives” program and highlights LIST’s commitment to diversity, equality, and the promotion of underrepresented groups.

Objectives

Currently, only 19% of leadership and management positions at LIST are held by women. This program is designed to identify high-potential women, motivate them to actively define their individual career paths, and prepare them to assume greater responsibilities in the mid-term.

Approach

The program runs for eight months and is designed for ten participants. It consists of two modules with monthly group coaching sessions and accompanying training activities:
1. Module 1: Self-assessment and self-awareness
o Learning techniques for self-reflection and self-evaluation.
2. Module 2: Leadership, networking, and negotiation skills
o Developing essentialskills for leadership roles.

Key steps of the program include:
• Coaching and training: Focused on individual and group development.
• Support from LIST: Ensuring participants have the time and resources needed to complete the program successfully.
• Self-assessment and career planning: Conducting an external self-assessment at the start of the program, a final assessment at the end, and developing an individual career plan.

Impact

This program helps reduce the underrepresentation of women in leadership roles at LIST. It provides opportunities to achievegender equality in key positions, whether in management or research. Our ambition is to reach an initial milestone of 30% of leadership positions at LIST being held by women.

« To do »

Prepare the programme carefully: Find the right training and coaching partners and explain the programme in detail internally.
Take time to work with management to select candidates and give them the time they need to make a decision about joining the programme.

« Not to do »

Do not make participation mandatory: Do not oblige employees to participate in the programme but give them the freedom to decide and the opportunity to leave at a certain point without looking for the reasons for their decision.
This may not be the right way for everyone to prepare for a leadership position!

Keywords : Evaluation, mobility and career management

Published on 28 November 2024

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