Experiential training program aims to get more women leaders
in top management positions. Birmingham, AL (GoArticles) September 7, 2005 – Can women lead
America’s businesses? Six corporate consultants and one Princeton student say “Yes!” A new leadership development program for women in business was
announced today. Six former corporate managers and consultants
to Fortune 500 companies and one student from Princeton came
together to form one of the most dynamic new development
programs for women in business available on the market today. WomenCorp, an international women’s leadership training company,
was developed as a solution to the problem many companies are
experiencing in attracting and retaining top talent. “Considering that 50% of the talent pool is made up of women and
women are leaving at twice the rate of men, something has to be
done to help companies keep their women leaders.” Says Roxanne
Batson, founder of WomenCorp. The concept of an experiential training program for women was
developed after these consultants and entrepreneurs noted how
many large corporations were suffering continual outflow of
their women managers. “Our goal was to develop a way to help companies retain talented
individuals by addressing the specific training needs that would
develop women in management to their highest potential” said
Batson. The venture began with a survey (see it at
http://www.WomenCorp.org) conducted by WomenCorp, that asked
both men and women managers why they felt that less than 20% of
top management in companies are women. While the answers and
comments varied, the consensus was “lack of flexibility”. It has long been debated that women, often the primary
caregivers in their family, have the ability and desire to work
50-60 hours per week and give their complete attention to the
company. Therefore, it’s been said that it is difficult for such
women to compete with men who focus more time and energy on
their job. Yet, in society today, many women are not only the primary
caregivers, but also the sole provider within their family. In
addition, many possess talents that are highly valuable to the
company. For successful companies to stay on top and retain
their talent, it will continue to be important to open the doors
for women to achieve top management positions. There is another issue that surfaced in the survey. It seems
that while many women (52.4%) believe that women in management
are not as confident as male peers, men felt differently (only
17.9% chose “lack of confidence” as an issue). “Confidence usually comes from knowledge, but can be undermined
when there is a lack of support for the way women view things,”
said Ms. Batson. “A woman who have achieved a high position in
her company is often a lone female voice among many male voices
so there isn’t much support. At the same time, few women are in
line management jobs where they are able to gain experience
necessary to manage to the bottom line. Yet, this is exactly the
type experience that most companies look for in its top tier
managers. This is where we believe we can make a difference.” WomenCorp offers development workshops for mindset and
confidence building combined with experiential training to teach
women in management all aspects of running highly profitable
businesses including P&L, revenue generation and leadership. CONTACT INFORMATION: Brian Kirk WomenCorp (205) 835-8167
http://www.WomenCorp.or Music Producer