Leadership Development for Women

LDW 2009: Developing Personally and Professionally

This program is designed for women who are keen to explore their leadership potential while they are establishing themselves in their research, academic, administrative, technical or professional roles. Potential participants will be keen to extend their self-management and leadership skills within their current roles as well as explore future career paths and possibilities. Leadership is explored focusing on leadership that can be exercised at all levels of an organisation and is not dependent on holding a senior position.

Core Program

Objectives:
The program commences with an intensive three day compulsory workshop spaced over three full days, designed to:

• work and build on the real experience of women in the workplace;
• build a strong learning community where women can explore their work and life options

  Over the three days of the Core Program the following key areas are developed:

• Leadership and identity; understanding women and leadership – reviewing leadership theories, practices of exemplary leaders, and women’s experiences in leading;
• Exploring the University culture at the local and organisational level - identifying what gets rewarded, how to demonstrate competence and commitment, and what is expected of a good leader;
• Demonstrating leadership through problem-solving exercises;
• Building emotional intelligence: understanding behaviours and preferences of self and others using Myers Briggs Type Inventory;
• Moving beyond gender to diversity to explore issues of identity as a leader, and issues of belonging and exclusion in the workplace;
• Exploring power and influence in the workplace;
• Enhancing participants’ ‘cultural literacy’ and their capacity to appropriately challenge ineffective behaviours in their workplaces;
• Formation of peer learning groups and identification of issues and group topics.

Dates:

Venue: Century Room, TCA,  Bellerive.

Peer Learning Groups

Peer learning groups will be formed around common topics identified by the participants during the core programme.

Members of each peer learning group will give a progress report on their topic at the appropriate skills workshop and will present their group’s findings at the Review Workshop. There will also be an opportunity to present some of the key issues that have arisen for peer learning groups to a wider audience at the end of the year.  Time will be set a side during each workshop for peer learning groups to meet; however meetings outside workshop hours will also be required. Overall direction and support to the peer learning group will be provided.

Facilitators

Maggie Leavitt has been operating a successful small consultancy, Maggie Cox and Associates since 1987. Maggie has extensive experience working in the areas of management and leadership development and training; performance coaching; and facilitation. She has a particular interest in assisting people to overcome systemic and personal barriers enabling them to excel in their work setting.

Maggie has worked extensively within UWA and since 1998 has been closely involved with the Leadership Development for Women (LDW) program. She has also co-facilitated a series of accredited programs - ‘Women into Management’ - for the Department of Agriculture. Maggie has worked extensively in the public and private sectors. Current clients include Department of the Environment, Alcoa; St John of God Health Care; Healthway and BHP Billiton.

Jennifer de Vries co-ordinated the Leadership Development for Women (LDW) program at UWA from  1997 till earlier this year. Jen oversaw all aspects of the program as well as facilitating program workshops. She has a strong background in gender issues and has a particular interest in workplace cultures, how these are gendered and how cultures can be influenced and changed. She recently resigned from her staff position to concentrate on completing her PhD.

Jen has provided national leadership in the higher education sector, assisting several universities in the development of their in-house women’s programs. She also convened a national practitioners' network for women only programs. Jen edited and published a book evaluating and celebrating the first 10 years of the LDW program, titled More Than the Sum of its Parts.

Compulsory Workshops

Skills Development Workshops
A series of four skills development workshops will be run during the year, based around such topics as workplace relations, communications and assertiveness, acting strategically, visibility, workplace culture and work/life balance. Each workshop will involve presentations and discussion around the workshop topic as well as work in peer learning groups.

LDW Review Workshop
This workshop aims to assist participants to reflect on the program, consolidate their learning and help them move ahead into the future with confidence, goals and a plan. The session will include a final presentation from each peer learning group. The whole group will then work to synthesise these into a combined final presentation to a wider UTAS audience.

Peer Learning Rehearsal
This session will provide an opportunity to prepare and practise for the peer learning presentation in late November. Not all participants will need to attend this.

Date and Venue: to be advised

Peer Learning Presentation
The final public peer learning presentation is designed to engage the wider university group with the learning that has taken place during the program and to highlight ongoing issues of concern to the participants. It provides an organisational reality check regarding gender equity.

Date and Venue: to be advised

Mentoring

Mentoring is an important part of the program. Participants will have an opportunity to look at how mentoring could assist their career development, and to develop their specific needs and goals. They will then be matched with a senior male or female staff member on the basis of those identified needs and goals. The mentoring part of the program lasts for approximately nine months from when the participants are matched, and workshops will be held for mentees and new mentors to look at making the most out of the relationships.

Using Mentoring to Manage Your Career       
Hobart                         April (TBA)                 

Getting the Most from your Mentoring – a two hour workshop offered to participants to review their mentoring partnerships after they have begun to meet with their mentor.
Hobart                         July (TBA)
Launceston                July (TBA)

Other Recommended Workshops

These sessions are run on both Hobart and Launceston campuses and are open to all UTAS women staff.

Preparing to Apply for Academic Promotion
The session will provide participants with an opportunity to hear from and ask questions of the Chair, University Promotions Committee and other senior academics. Participants will gain a better understanding of the process for applying for promotion and how to put together a successful application, including how to prepare an academic portfolio.

Academic Promotion: Tips for Success
This session will provide an opportunity to hear from a panel of successful applicants who will share their tips on how they applied for academic promotion. These will include putting together the application, timing - knowing when you are ready, working with your Head and preparing for the interview with the University Promotions Committee.

Career Opportunities for General Staff
This session will provide an overview of current career developmental trends, and a process or model for creating career opportunities, plus an understanding of current University career-related programs, including job reclassification, staff development opportunities, secondments, funding for conferences, time off for study.

How to Apply

Eligibility
Thirty places are available for academic staff levels A to D, and general staff women (HEO levels 5-10) who are employed half-time or more and whose contracts run until at least December 2009. The program is not open to casual staff.

Applications

Fax: 2751
Email: Sandra.Fisher@utas.edu.au

For further information contact Sandra.

Closing date Friday 28th November 2008
Late applications will not be considered.

Selection Process

Selection of participants will be undertaken by a meeting of the Senior Women’s group - a group of senior academic and general staff members, and will be based on:

• Ratio of general to academic staff
• Balanced representation from disciplines/faculties/units
• Capacity to participate in the program, and in particular the core program (compulsory), skills development workshops (notably the peer learning group presentations) and review workshop
• Quality of application

Depending upon the range of applications, the selection committee reserves the right to put together a group of women who are at a similar level of experience, to maximise the benefits of the programme. 

Manager, Leadership Program
Human Resources,
Private Bag 46
HOBART, 7001
Ph. 6226 1838
Fax. 6226 2751

		Download the 2009 LDW Calendar