#Japan #Tokyo #consulting services #Women's Empowerment #Work Shift Institute

Work Shift Institute Introduces New Consulting Services for Women's Empowerment

The Work Shift Institute, based in Minato-ku, Tokyo, has announced the launch of its new consulting services specifically designed to promote women's empowerment in the workplace. Founded in 2015 and rapidly approaching its 10th anniversary this December, the institute aims to support organizations in implementing substantial and strategic changes that facilitate women's roles in management and leadership positions.

Understanding the Need for Change

Over recent years, the necessity of human capital management has overwhelmed corporate strategies, forming a strong link between management tactics and HR strategies. Businesses are increasingly viewing their workforce not merely as resources but as vital capital that can be leveraged for increasing overall corporate value. Within this context, ensuring diversity within management is recognized as a crucial factor that can drive innovation and enhance organizational performance.

Yet, despite setting aspirational targets like achieving a 30% ratio of female managers, organizations often face significant hurdles, including:

• - Commitment Gaps: A disparity exists between top management's commitments and those of the front-line employees.
• - Organizational Culture: Established norms and practices can dampen the career aspirations of female employees.
• - Pipeline Issues: There's often a scarcity of qualified female candidates ready to step into managerial roles.
• - Unconscious Bias: Evaluation processes may reflect biases that impede women’s advancement.
• - Support Systems: While support policies exist, they may not be effectively integrated into the workplace environment.

Through its wide-ranging experience providing training to over 20,000 individuals, the Work Shift Institute has come to recognize that genuine transformation requires a comprehensive approach that addresses the tripartite relationship between systems, operations, and mindsets. For change to succeed, management attitudes must evolve alongside new evaluation systems, and improved workplace cultures are essential for leveraging existing policies.

The Essence of the Consulting Service

The new organizational transformation consulting services will be tailored according to each company’s specific challenges and needs. The primary offerings consist of three key plans:

1. Female Manager Development Plan: This program supports the diagnosis of current situations, identifies issues, designs training programs, reforms management mindsets, and facilitates organization-wide implementation, thereby promoting the sustainable appointment of female managers. This comprehensive strategy goes beyond traditional training, including suggestions for improving HR systems and evaluation processes.

2. Management Mindset Transformation Plan: Aimed at enhancing the management capabilities and nurturing skills of existing managers, this plan provides a unified approach from diagnosis to designing effective training and coaching. It encourages a transformation from directive management to one that fosters growth through dialogue, fostering a culture of psychological safety in which high performance can thrive.

3. Dual-Role Support Plan: This initiative assists employees in seamlessly transitioning back to work after maternity leave by diagnosing initial circumstances, promoting understanding among supervisors and colleagues, and improving workplace support for the use of available systems. The goal is to change the work environment to ensure that career paths remain uninterrupted.

Optional Plans

Alongside these primary offerings, the Work Shift Institute also provides optional services that can be tailored to meet each company's unique challenges and requirements, including support for human capital disclosure reports, assistance with obtaining certifications such as Kurumin and Eruboshi, and promotion of female executive development and recruitment.

Expected Outcomes of the Program

The anticipated impacts of the new consulting services are emblematic of broader business benefits, including:

• - Enhanced Quality and Diversity of Talent: Retaining and attracting exceptional female talent strengthens the organizational workforce.
• - Innovation: Diverse teams can drive the creation of new value through varied perspectives.
• - Improved Organizational Performance: Increased employee engagement can lead to greater productivity.
• - Elevated Corporate Value: A robust human capital structure enhances ESG scores and investor perceptions.
• - Competitive Edge in Recruitment: A reputation for a supportive work environment can entice top talent.

Leadership Insight

Yuko Kobayakawa, President of the Work Shift Institute, commented, "Human capital disclosure and the active engagement of diverse talent have now become essential components of corporate value. However, many organizations may still find it challenging to actualize the anticipated results despite their efforts. Promoting women’s empowerment is not merely about hitting numerical targets, but rather about maximizing each individual’s potential to elevate the organization’s overall competitiveness. Our newly introduced consulting service consolidates the invaluable insights gleaned over the past decade to provide foundational solutions for advancing women's roles in your organization."

About Work Shift Institute

The Work Shift Institute provides a range of consulting and educational training services for both corporate and individual clients, focusing on developing female leaders, reforming workplaces, and more. Over 22,000 participants have taken part in its specialized programs aimed at spearheading organizational changes that genuinely empower women.

For inquiries, please contact:

• - Yuta Miyatake, Work Shift Institute
• - Email: [email protected]

The Work Shift Institute looks forward to helping organizations not just meet but excel in their commitments to gender diversity and empowerment in the workplace.