Orijen is proud to announce that we have commenced the third Women in IT Executive Mentoring (WITEM) Coaching Circles program in the Australian Public Service earlier this month, in partnership with Dell. We extend a warm welcome to the 116 women who have been selected to join this program.
With a significant growth in the number of nominations (126 this year compared with 88 last year, and 64 in the inaugural year), it has never been more obvious that this program meets not only the needs of women working in male dominated workplaces, but also their organisations as they strive to build a pipeline of talented women in ICT in Government.
With thirty government departments participating, the women have the unique opportunity to build develop their leadership skills, to broaden their networks, and to learn from each other. Each participant has in common a high degree of maturity and professional experience and a desire to navigate and advance their careers in the APS.
The circles are facilitated by psychologists Jenny Morris and Glenda May both of whom have a deep understanding of leadership development and diversity challenges. Each coaching circle (12 women) meets ten times over the 12 month period, thereby ensuring real-time, sustainable learning and providing time for reflection and practice
The first meeting of each circle was extraordinarily successful. The participants were extremely appreciative of the opportunity, especially when they realised that it’s “not just another leadership program” but one which offers real potential for personal and professional growth.
One participant reported after a single WITEM session: “It had puzzled me for a long time. I kept asking myself “what am I lacking of” or “what are they really looking for that I don’t have?” or “I know I am competent at what I am doing, but why…” etc. I think I know the answer now and looking forward to learning and applying the skills that would address those problems.”
The networking that WITEM offers is part of the appeal – immediately upon joining their group, participants add an additional eleven women to their professional networks. WITEM also offers the opportunity for further networking, with a whole-of-program networking session organised for the 116 program participants in September and intimate ‘fireside’ chats with CIO’s and members of the SES throughout the year. Past speakers at these ‘fireside’ chats include Angela Fox, the new Managing Director of Dell, and Deborah Harrigan as well.
We look forward to the next twelve months of running this WITEM program with the support of Dell, and helping participants grow in their current roles and prepare for the progression to the next level of their careers.
Once again to our participants, welcome to WITEM!
If you are interested in learning more about WITEM or Orijen’s coaching and mentoring programs, please contact us for more information.
