Schneider Ross > Case Studies > Strategic Workshops Enable Open Discussions on Gender issues

Strategic Workshops Enable Open Discussions on Gender issues

Working closely with the Managing Partner and the Director of Human Resources, Schneider Ross developed a strategic workshop which would allow open and discussion and real progress on gender and diversity amongst the Partners in the firm.

Each of the 14 Partners and Directors had an initial telephone or face to face coaching session to open up the business case for diversity and discuss views on gender and other aspects of diversity, as well exploring options for the design of the half day together.
The aims for the day were to:
• make clear links between gender diversity and the broarder business priorities
• to work on developing a culture which would best serve the future of the business
• to explore how we communicate – between men and women, and cross culturally
• to develop some personal leadership plans, including how best to incorporate diversity in future priorities

The workshop was specifically customised to the needs of the Partnership group, drawing on internal research on gender, presenting information on key legal demographics and trends as well as best practice in the legal world. A mixture of small group work, personal planning, video footage and leadership “scenarios” the workshop was varied and lively in style.

Feedback after the workshop included “the workshop helped me recognise the importance of diversity to all aspects of the business, not just the obvious areas of flexible working but also of culture/recruitment etc” and “ We need to identify the barriers faced by women and minority groups and work to dismantle them.”

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