Women Mentoring Women: Strategies for Success

Women mentoring women is not often seen in the workplace. Women have found they have to create their own formal and informal relationships in order to enjoy the same benefits that “the old boys clubs” have naturally done for years. Formal and informal mentoring can offer many benefits for women leaders and leaders-to-be, including developing increased leadership skills, sharing problem-solving techniques, and networking for success. This presentation will define some strategies for finding or becoming a mentor and developing strategic mentoring partnerships. Breaking the Glass Ceiling The Civil Rights Act of 1991 established a “Glass Ceiling Commission” to conduct a study and prepare recommendations concerning eliminating artificial barriers to the advancement of women and minorities. The study focused on increasing the opportunities and development experiences of women and minorities to foster advancement of women and minorities to management and decision-making positions in business. The Commission’s full report, “Good for Business: Making Full Use of the Nation’s Human Capital,” identified seven business practices to break the glass ceiling, including leadership and career development; rotation/nontraditional employment; mentoring; accountability programs; succession planning; workforce diversity initiatives; and family friendly programs.