Empowering women within your organization isn’t just a feel-good initiative; it brings substantial business benefits. Female leadership and empowerment can promote innovation, enhance decision-making, and expand company culture.
But practically, what should you be doing to effectively empower women in your workplace?
While every organization is unique, our firm has identified three key strategies through our own efforts that have proven successful in equipping strong, intelligent women in our field.
1) CREATE SPACE FOR COMMUNITY
Fostering a sense of community among women in your organization can lead to meaningful connections and a more positive work environment.
Consider hosting networking opportunities with the goalof uniting and uplifting your female employees. If your team is small, you might organize broader networking efforts with other female leaders in the business community.
At Warren Averett, relationship-driven initiatives like this have enabled women to connect organically over shared aspirations, and to support each other through common challenges. For instance, our Women of Warren Averett program includes a Moms Support Group to address the unique challenges faced by working mothers, and a Caregivers Support Group for those balancing professional responsibilities with family caregiving duties.
Creating a space for women to connect with other female leaders can quickly uncover new ideas, forge valuable connections, and strengthen your overall company culture.
2) OFFER ACCESS TO DEVELOPMENT RESOURCES
Women may not always have easy access to professional resources or career development opportunities. Intentionally providing these resources within your company can help women prepare for leadership roles and confidently navigate their careers. Consider sponsoring participation in mentorship programs, collaborating with local universities and encouraging memberships in professional organizations.
While there are many active efforts geared toward equipping women in the workplace, creating your own programs can also be beneficial. By periodically hosting Women of Warren Averett conferences and webinars, we can gather input from the women in our organization and provide speakers and messages that are most helpful to them. Demonstrating that your company values and acts on employee feedback can also build valuable trust between your female team members and your organization.
3) SET THE TONE AT THE TOP
Women face unique obstacles in the workforce, so it’s crucial to ensure your organization has the infrastructure and policies to create a positive environment from the top down. Review your policies to foster inclusivity and actively prevent any pay or promotion discrepancies.
Provide women in senior leadership roles within your organization with a platform to advise on promoting increased female leadership within your organization. When women see other women in leadership roles, it provides a stronger sense of ownership and encouragement. Our firm, led by men and women at both corporate and local levels, has found that when young women see strong female leaders succeed, they can more easily envision their own path to advancement.
Equipping and empowering both men and women in your company requires work, reflection and dedication—but the results are worth the effort.
The Expert
Sandy Coaker serves as the Office Managing Member for Warren Averett’s Montgomery office and on the firm’s Operations Board. She has over 30 years of experience providing tax, consulting, and advisory services to privately held companies in a broad range of industries, including construction, healthcare and professional services.
Contact: Sandy Coaker / 334.387.3619 / [email protected]
