1. Women Initiative Foundation AN INTER COMPANY MENTORING PROGRAM
Foster women leadership in corporations
 AN INTER COMPANY MENTORING PROGRAM
An initiative by WIF
January 2019

2. Content Why an inter-company mentoring program?
Definition & Objectives
Mentors & mentees’ profiles
Mentors & mentees’ responsibilities
Embracing diverse leadership styles
A successful mentoring program
Setting up the inter-company program
The expertise of WIF

3. Why an inter-company mentoring program? - 1
WIF conducted a survey on gender perception in 4 major corporations, Engie, L’Oréal, BNP Paribas and Oracle in 2017/2018.
The questionnaire targeted 1/ Perceptions of gender parity and discrimination & 2/ Stereotypes men & women have of men & women
It was completed online by 2400 men & women, managers & senior executive, across France, Italy & Germany. Based on the results, WIF highlighted:
Men and women have similar stereotypes in the 3 countries.
Women senior executives are seen as behaving more ‘like men’, the reasons being attributed to self-censorship essentially.
In France, stereotypes vary widely depending on hierarchical levels. The more senior the women executives are, the more they are perceived as career-oriented, poor listeners, and with a tougher management style. This “male behavior” perception makes it hard for women to envision themselves in senior executive positions, and questions current role models.
The majority of respondents, male or female, report a poor work-life balance.
The feeling of being discriminated against varies widely depending on gender and country : over half of female Europeans believe that women are held to higher standards than men in proving their accomplishments. Men believe the glass ceiling is essentially related to family duties.
We can change these stereotypes and perceptions by taking action

4. Why an inter-company mentoring program? - 2
A mentoring program can be a powerful tool to foster women’s leadership and enable more female representation at the top
Women remain significantly underrepresented in the corporate pipeline. Despite earning more college degrees than men, women are promoted less often. Mentoring can help women advance their career, increasing the female representation in the corporate pipeline at all levels.
Inter-company mentoring: a senior leader from company A mentors a more junior leader or “leader-to-be” from company B
Mixing people from different companies offers rich & diverse perspectives to both mentors & mentees.

5. Definition & objectives
Our mentoring program is a formal and structured program supporting women through their journey to higher leadership positions.
It is a relationship between two people with different levels of seniority: the mentor and the mentee.
It is not a one-way relationship but a true exchange, personal and privileged, focusing on the mentee’s professional development.
For the mentee
Learn how to “decode” how a company works through the eyes of someone with more experience
Receive guidance on building her career path
Be comforted on her ability to access leadership positions. Enhanced professional confidence.
Develop her own network and board of advisers
For the mentor
Gain and raise awareness on challenges women face in the workplace
Gain enriched perspective through this experience
Paying it forward and building the future of women’s leadership

6. Mentors & mentees’ profiles
We suggest to start with a group of high potential females employees in their early to mid career. We recommend a balanced representation of women in line and staff roles.
Mentors
Women or men leaders, committed to dedicating sufficient time to this activity
Top executives who have developed their network within and outside their corporations, experienced in their field and who are interested in the career growth of their mentees. A mentor is more senior and more experienced than the mentee.

7. Mentors & mentees’ responsibilities
For the mentor
Experience and strategic vision of the corporate world
Ability to give constructive feedback and advise as a neutral third party & share recommendations on resources
Open minded, respectful of the mentee, “judgment – free”/ safe harbor
Available, positive and considerate
Ability to take a step back to analyze and evaluate the mentee’s progress
Ability to connect the mentee to other leaders, opening his/her network
Proven record of leadership skills, especially in developing his/her team (empathy, listening skills…)
For the mentee
Committed to participating in the program and expressing her vision of clear objectives for her next steps
Respectful of the mentor’s commitment. Come prepared to the meetings (with goals, questions, ideas)
Motivated to advance her career (objectives clearly expressed and reviewed regularly)
Ready to reflect on her strengths and the possible challenges holding her back
Open to someone else’s feedback
Open to change

8. Embracing diverse leadership styles
Why is it a topic?
In a traditionally male-dominated corporate world, ‘Leadership’ has been associated with some restricting norms & traits.
Women have had to conform to these standards to be perceived as leaders
However, women leaders embracing the same leadership traits as men have often faced double standards and a likability penalty also hindering their career progress (”Howard/Heidi” Harvard study*).
Inclusion means embracing a broad range of leadership styles
Women need to feel they can have their own leadership style while being fully recognized as leaders and be role models for future female leaders.
*Success and Likability for Women in the Workplace, The Heidi-Howard Study

9. A successful mentoring program
Rules
Mentor & mentee need to define together the extent and the objectives of their relationship. Objectives must be clear and realistic, possibly spread over time.
Both mentor/mentee need to contribute to building the relationship and ensure the regularity of meetings: we recommend mentors and mentees to meet at least once a month.
The confidentiality of conversations is critical and based on a mutual trust.
Mentoring is neither coaching nor sponsorship and the discussions only focus on the mentee’s career evolution.
Both mentor and mentee are responsible for the success of their mentoring relationship, through their commitment, their motivation and the quality of their relationship.
They’ll have regular formal checkpoints during the program in order to ensure its success.

10. Setting up the inter-company program
A 1-year pilot program
Starting with 20/30 people: 10/15 mentors / 10/15 mentees.
WIF establishes the governance of the program:
We define the selection criteria for both mentors and mentees
We are responsible for the mentor-mentee matching and training
We act as an intermediary between the various corporations and between mentors/mentees
Mentors & mentees sign the WIF charter and confidentiality agreement
Duration: 1 year
Timeline
TBD: Candidate selection & matching mentor/mentee
TBD: Launch & Kick off with the 1st meeting mentor/mentee
TBD: Mentor & Mentee training & onboarding
TBD: 1st follow up with the entire group; adjustments are considered
TBD: 2nd follow up with the entire group; adjustments are considered
TBD: End of the program, key learnings & celebration

11. The expertise of WIF
Our strategy
Our expertise