Thrive! Empowering Diverse Talent

Outcome

Across 2 cohorts in 2023/24 and 2024/25:

• 100% of participants reported the programme met their expectations
• Raised confidence levels in applying for roles by approx. 65%
• 6/14 confidence measures rose to 100% (with a min increase of 50%)
• Over 72% of participants feeling confident enough to apply for promotions, with 50% of them getting promoted within 12 months of the programme starting

Anecdotal feedback also indicates that participants feel more accepted as unique individuals and are proud of the value they bring to the organisation.

The Challenge

We were engaged by an organisation of 5000+ employees with major concerns about lack of diversity in their senior leadership population. We partnered with them to tailor our Thrive! programme to their specific priorities and objectives.

Collaborating with their Learning & Development team, we sought to address the core aims of enabling participants to:

• Feel confident and able to apply for senior leadership roles or development opportunities such as secondments, acting-up positions or leading business-critical projects.
• Be ready to step-into these roles equipped with tools and techniques that will enable them to succeed.

Success was maximised through Line Manager engagement, providing additional support and sounding boards for participants.

The Programme

Both Thrive! Developing Diverse Leaders Programmes ran for 6 months with 20 participants per cohort. We used a blended delivery approach – in-person and virtual, with a broad range of activities to cater for different learning styles. Development activities included:

• Enhancing self-awareness through the completion of the Lumina Spark personality questionnaire with group feedback
• Creating personal development plans for each participant
• Group and peer coaching sessions
• Strategic projects mentored by an internal Executive sponsor; each project team presented their final recommendations to senior leaders at the closing event
• Practical, interactive masterclasses and workshops focused on:
• Self-awareness and career focus
• Understanding and optimising career headwinds
• Enhancing confidence and embracing imposter phenomenon
• Understanding and developing personal leadership styles and brand building
• Applying for roles, including writing compelling CVs and interview skills