The Gap:
Type of Gap: Other – Aspirational challenges for women
Ambitious women often feel they have to overcompensate at work, too, to counter ingrained preconceptions about their commitment or competence. In addition, many times the multiple roles they play simply sap their energies and make them want to opt out.
The Practice:
Type of practice: Mentorship & training
IWINtor - growing out of an IWIN (Infosys Women's Inclusivity Network) initiative - is a dedicated mentoring program aimed at creating a renewed sense of professional effectiveness, goal clarity and career development for the participating mentees. Both men and women leaders take up mentoring responsibility to help the mentees realize their aspirations.
The program provides mentors with an opportunity to enhance their managerial and leadership abilities and with a sense of personal satisfaction from sharing knowledge, insights and experiences. IWINtor therefore benefits both the mentors and the mentees.
Metrics:
We measure primarily participation in the IWINtor programme.
Implementation Date:
The programme has been in place for 5 years.
The Success:
IWINtor is re-launched every year with a fresh list of mentors and mentees who interact at regular intervals to address individual issues pertaining to skill enhancement, competency development, adapting to change etc. Their association is voluntary and at the end of the year they have the liberty to discontinue their mentoring sessions.
Some feedback we have received from participants: Pallavi would recommend the programme as a '“must” for all women colleagues who aspire to have a flourishing professional career with an integrated and satisfying personal life. I am sure there will be many such workshops that will be conducted hopefully for all job levels in future. It might involve some preparation but you will realize it is worth the effort.' Manjula said it ‘feels great to have made it to the program. It’s one of its kind in arousing transformation in us while reinforcing the leadership skills!'.
More than 2500 have benefited from this program, and it remains well subscribed to year after year.
Success factors:
- The holistic definition of inclusivity and participation of men.
Barriers:
- Getting women to believe in themselves and the potential they have.