Notes on BlackRock’s Women’s Leadership Forum

I was delighted to discover that Peggy Klaus has been writing about a program I’ve been proud to be associated with at BlackRock. In a recent NYT article, she points out how that company’s Women’s Leadership Forum broadly differentiates itself from other diversity and inclusion efforts in corporate America, emphasizing how BlackRock has had the senior leadership engagement and support necessary to really make a difference.

Further, Klaus has written a follow up to her article that outlines critical factors that have made the Women’s Leadership Forum successful both in the short term and the long run. As you might expect, I agree with all ten of her points, but would flesh out point #4 – Start With a 360 Degree Assessment. What we do in this program includes an online 360-Degree Assessment, but also augments it with a personal interview and stakeholder interviews as well as a business-oriented personality inventory. This multi-source approach provides more robust feedback for the participant and provides more traction for them when they begin to build their development plan with their coach and sponsor.