Program Management Guide: Executive Presence & Public Speaking for Women

1. Program Introduction & Benefits

This 3-month intensive training program is designed exclusively for women to develop authentic executive presence and masterful public speaking skills. Grounded in proven methodologies like the 70-20-10 rule and experiential performance-based pedagogy, the program creates a psychologically safe, female-only cohort environment. It systematically builds from inner confidence to outer projection, enabling participants to overcome gender-specific challenges and lead with greater impact, authority, and authenticity.

Strategic Benefits for Participants:

• Enhanced Leadership Credibility: Develop a powerful, authentic personal brand that commands respect and increases influence in high-stakes situations.
• Mastery of High-Impact Communication: Acquire and practice techniques for vocal authority, compelling body language, and handling challenges or interruptions effectively.
• Sustainable Confidence Building: Systematically dismantle the inner critic and self-doubt through mindset work, peer support, and evidence-based skill development.
• Expanded Professional Network: Gain lifelong allies and a support system through a curated cohort of ambitious women, fostering opportunities for collaboration and mutual amplification.
• Accelerated Career Trajectory: Translate new skills into tangible outcomes, such as successful high-visibility presentations, increased stakeholder buy-in, and greater recognition for leadership potential.

2. Program Expansion Strategy

Evaluation: The primary program is a Training Program, not a Mentorship or Coaching program. While the core design includes peer feedback and instructor coaching, the goal of developing deeply personal skills like executive presence and public speaking would be significantly enhanced by a supplemental Structured Peer Mentorship layer.

Addition of a Peer Mentorship Circle:

• Value Added: A formal peer mentorship structure provides sustained, personalized accountability and support beyond scheduled training sessions. It creates a trusted "board of advisors" within the cohort where women can practice skills in a safe setting, receive real-time feedback, and navigate gender-specific workplace challenges collaboratively. This reinforces the ADKAR model's "Reinforcement" stage and directly addresses the challenge of lacking role models by creating a living network of them.
• Implementation Note: Integrate bi-weekly, facilitated Peer Mentorship Circles into the program schedule. Groups of 3-4 participants will be formed in Month 1 and follow a structured conversation guide aligned with the program modules (e.g., discussing challenges with inner critic, practicing feedback on recorded speech snippets). A lightweight agreement will outline confidentiality and commitment.

3. Implementation Roadmap

Launch Phase Checklist

1. Define & Align: Finalize program curriculum based on the four Content Pillars. Secure executive sponsorship and budget.
2. Participant Recruitment: Develop compelling marketing materials highlighting benefits and challenges addressed. Launch application process with clear eligibility criteria.
3. Pre-Program Assessment: Administer pre-program questionnaires (using the Personality Test tool for baseline) and 360-feedback surveys to establish self-awareness baselines.
4. Cohort Curation & Onboarding: Select participants to ensure diverse, complementary cohort. Use the Onboarding Platform to deliver welcome packs, pre-work (e.g., video self-recording exercise), and schedule.
5. Kickoff Session: Conduct a powerful in-person or virtual launch to build cohort cohesion, set expectations, and introduce the Peer Mentorship Circle structure.

Tracking & Operations

• Central Hub: Utilize an LMS (Learning Management System) as the single source of truth for all session materials, video recordings, assignments, and discussion forums.
• Session Management: Follow the 70-20-10 model in live sessions: 10% lecture on concepts, 20% expert/peer coaching, 70% hands-on practice (role-plays, improvisation, video analysis).
• Progress Tracking: Coaches/instructors will track individual progress against milestones using rubrics within the LMS. Peer Mentorship Circles will submit brief check-in forms.
• Communication: Use an Internal Social Network group dedicated to the cohort for ongoing encouragement, resource sharing, and community building between sessions.

Success Measurement

• Quantitative KPIs:
  • 90% program completion rate.
  • Average increase of 25% in pre/post self-confidence scores (Likert scale survey).
  • 80% of participants achieve a score of 4/5 or higher on a final presentation rubric (clarity, impact, presence).
  • Skill retention rate of 80%+ as measured by a 3-month follow-up survey.
• Qualitative Feedback Mechanisms:
  • Mid-point and final structured peer feedback within Mentorship Circles.
  • Analysis of participant reflection journals for themes of growth and challenge.
  • Collection of testimonials and specific anecdotes of skill application in the workplace.
  • Post-program facilitator debrief to identify content and process improvements.

4. Approved Tools List

• LMS (Learning Management System): Primary Tool. Justification: Essential for delivering the 10% conceptual learning content, housing video libraries for self-review, managing assignments (e.g., upload practice videos), tracking participant progress through modules, and hosting discussion forums for cohort interaction.
• Personality Test: Secondary Tool. Justification: Used during the pre-program "Self-Awareness Baseline" milestone to provide participants with a neutral, framework-based understanding of their communication and interaction styles, serving as a foundational reference point for personalized development.
• Internal Social Network: Secondary Tool. Justification: Critical for fostering the continuous community required for psychological safety and peer support. It enables ongoing dialogue, resource sharing, and reinforcement between formal sessions, strengthening the cohort bond.
• Onboarding Platform: Secondary Tool. Justification: Ensures a professional, seamless, and low-friction start to the program. It automates the delivery of pre-work, schedules, and important logistics, allowing participants to focus on preparation rather than administrative details.

(Mentorship/Coaching/ERG Software are not selected as the core program is training-focused, and the supplemental peer mentorship is lightweight and facilitated within the existing structure.)

5. Resource & Content Library

General Program Content

• Module 1: Inner Confidence & Mindset
  • Video: "Taming Your Inner Critic: Strategies for Women Leaders"
  • Guide: "Building Your Authentic Leadership Brand: A Workbook"
  • Article Collection: Profiles and analysis of communication styles from diverse female executive role models.
  • Tool: Resilience trigger plan template for high-pressure moments.
• Module 2: Communication & Vocal Presence
  • Video Tutorial: "Vocal Power: Projection, Pitch, and Strategic Silence"
  • Exercise Guide: "Eliminating Verbal Fillers & Amplifying Your Message"
  • Reference Sheet: "Powerful Language Alternatives to Diminishing Phrases"
  • Practice Audio Files: Vocal warm-ups and articulation exercises.
• Module 3: Non-Verbal Gravitas & Body Language
  • Video Analysis: Side-by-side comparisons of powerful vs. passive stances and gestures.
  • Guide: "Embodied Presence: Using Posture and Space to Command Authority"
  • Checklist: "Non-Verbal Habits to Reduce & Behaviors to Adopt"
  • Role-play Scenario: "Maintaining Composure and Presence When Challenged."
• Module 4: Influence & High-Stakes Application
  • Case Studies: Navigating difficult conversations and crisis communications.
  • Template: "Influencing Stakeholders: A Preparation Framework"
  • Video Library: Examples of effective handling of interruptions in meetings.
  • Final Assignment: "Live Presentation" brief and peer feedback rubric.

Supplemental Mentoring Content Table

(For use in the structured Peer Mentorship Circles)

Session Focus	Mentoring Skill	Discussion Guide / Activity
Goal Setting & Authenticity	Active Listening & Powerful Questioning	Guide: Use the GROW model to help each member refine their personal program goal. Practice asking open-ended questions.
Skill Practice & Feedback	Giving Constructive Feedback	Activity: Use the "Situation-Behavior-Impact" model to provide feedback on a member's short practice video. Focus on observable behaviors.
Overcoming Setbacks	Support & Accountability	Discussion: Share one challenge faced (e.g., inner critic activation). Peers practice reflective listening and help brainstorm one small action step.
Integration & Networking	Advocacy & Amplification	Activity: Role-play introducing another member's idea in a meeting setting ("amplification"). Discuss strategies for building external networks.