“En Avant Toutes” by Orange Business Services is a Personal Development Programme for Executives (from low to top managers) created in 2014.
The participants are volunteers and selected by HR and/or their managers.
Brief outline of the initiative
The programme represents a great opportunity for women to be empowered even if not detected as high potential. It indeed provides them with 1st level with responsibility, to better break the ‘glass ceiling’.
This one-year journey includes workshops in groups, individual coaching, One day session with practical exercises, as well as conferences with role models to be inspired.
“En Avant Toutes” is entirely conducted internally at Orange.
Duration
1 year
Frequency
Once a year
Funding
Internal budget
Budget
N/A
Key elements
Target
Women only
Country of origin
France
Country/Region of implementation
France + to come in Mauritius Island, India and Egypt
Number of participants
~65/year
Core objective of the Programme
☒ Women empowerment (identifying barriers and working on strengths, creating a community)
☒ Supporting organizational change (strategy for developing diversity, implementation of specific policies, support to change makers)
☐ Allies buy-in and support (mentors, men championing)
☐ External Scrutiny (Pledge board, Indicators, celebration of success…)
☐ Other => Please specify:
Actions implemented
☒ Internal Diversity & Inclusion Strategy for a safe workplace with equal rights (please specify)
☐ Commitment of men - please specify:
☒ Personal development training - please specify: Workshops in groups, individual coaching
☒ Role model highlighted
☐ Networking (women network, men network or mixed) - please specify:
☐ Mentoring (unique or mixed gender, please specify) (experienced & wise guide)
☒ Coaching (ability to inspire and grow people/Foster emulation/ Being influential)
☐ Events (sharing with other companies) - please specify:
☐ Other - please specify:
Format
☐ Online e-learning Module
☐ Online seminar
☒ Workshops
☒ Conference
☐ Self-Assessment tool
☒ Consolidated educational/training programme
☐ Other, please specify:
Identified Key Success Factors
- Easily available for women who want to participate
- With a 1st level of responsibility
Transferable bites/elements
- Online workshops
- One day sharing session
Testimonials
Organisation’s strategy to adress Women Empowerment
- Participation at inter companies’ events (ELLE active Week, initiated by Danone)
- Internal Women networks (more than 15 networks for women at Orange, depending of the location, the job, the structure of the entity). With a coordinating network called ‘INNOV Elle’.
- Internal Men network (Engaging men on professional equality, having a different mindset on women success in the company, balance workload at home).
Source of information: Interview
An initiative selected as a case study of the SWinG library of leadership development initiatives.
