Women's Career Return Strategy Program: A 6-Month Coaching Guide

1. Program Introduction & Benefits

This program is a structured, 6-month group coaching initiative designed exclusively for women navigating a return to the professional workforce after an extended career break (e.g., maternity, eldercare, sabbatical). It synthesizes proven, gender-specific methodologies—including the GROW model, the 70-20-10 rule for learning, and evidence-based curriculum—to move participants from uncertainty to confident action. The core essence is to provide a supportive community and expert-guided framework that rebuilds professional identity, bridges skill and confidence gaps, and creates a tangible, personalized strategy for a successful and sustainable career re-entry.

Strategic Benefits for Participants:

1. Clarity & a Personalized Roadmap: Gain absolute clarity on post-break career vision and purpose, culminating in a bespoke, actionable return strategy.
2. Skill Reactivation & Confidence Building: Master critical skills like personal branding, negotiation, and executive presence to rebuild professional confidence and counter the "confidence gap."
3. Activated Advocacy Network: Build and leverage a powerful professional network, securing key mentorship and sponsorship relationships critical for visibility and opportunity.
4. Bias Navigation & Resilience: Develop strategies to identify and navigate workplace biases, while cultivating grit and grace for sustainable work-life reintegration.
5. Tangible Return Outcomes: Achieve measurable progress toward re-entry, including securing a target role, expanding responsibilities, or launching a venture, supported by a leadership mindset.

2. Program Expansion Strategy

Evaluation: This is a Coaching Program. While the core design includes social learning and mentorship components (per the 70-20-10 rule), adding a formal, supplemental Mentorship layer would significantly enhance outcomes.

Value Addition: A structured mentorship component directly addresses the identified audience challenge of "Lack of Sponsorship & Visibility." While coaches provide process and skill development, mentors provide context-specific industry insight, organizational advocacy, and real-world navigation advice. This dual support system accelerates network activation, provides role models, and offers a direct line to potential opportunities, making the return strategy more actionable and grounded in reality.

Implementation Note: Integrate a voluntary mentorship matching service in Month 2. Use program software to match participants with senior leaders (alumni, partner organizations, volunteers) based on industry, career goals, and experience. Provide a light-touch structure: a kick-off guide, suggested discussion topics aligned with program modules, and a commitment of 1-2 conversations per month for the program's duration.

3. Implementation Roadmap

Launch Phase Checklist

1. Define & Align: Finalize program curriculum based on the four Content Pillars. Secure internal or external certified coaches with expertise in women's leadership and career transitions.
2. Participant Recruitment: Develop marketing materials highlighting benefits and success metrics. Launch application process with clear eligibility criteria.
3. Onboard Participants: Conduct pre-program orientation session. Administer pre-program self-assessment surveys to establish baselines for KPIs.
4. Technology Setup: Configure all selected software platforms (LMS, Coaching Software, Internal Network) with cohorts, content, and communication channels.
5. Kick-Off: Host a powerful launch event to build community, set expectations, and introduce the GROW model framework.

Tracking & Operations

• Weekly Cadence: Deliver core content via the LMS. Facilitate one 90-minute live group coaching session per week.
• Bi-Weekly Check-Ins: Coaches conduct brief one-on-one check-ins with each coachee to review progress on action plans.
• Monthly Milestone Reviews: Host cohort-wide reflection sessions at each key milestone (Clarity, Skill-Building, etc.) to celebrate wins and adjust strategies.
• Communication Hub: Utilize the Internal Social Network for daily peer support, resource sharing, and Q&A with coaches.
• Administration: Use Coaching Software for scheduling sessions, tracking attendance, and managing goal progress.

Success Measurement

• Quantitative KPIs:
  • Engagement: >90% module completion rate in LMS.
  • Clarity: >93% of participants reporting "clear or very clear" vision/post-break goals in post-program survey.
  • Network: >92% secure at least one mentor/sponsor connection.
  • Outcome: >70% secure a target role or expanded responsibility within 6 months of program end.
  • Satisfaction: Net Promoter Score >80.
• Qualitative Feedback Mechanisms:
  • Pre/Post Self-Assessments: Measuring confidence, leadership capability, and grit.
  • Participant Journals/Reflections: Collected via LMS to track personal insights and breakthroughs.
  • Coach Feedback: Qualitative notes on participant progress and engagement.
  • Exit & Longitudinal Interviews: Conducted at program end and 3/6 months post-program to gather testimonials and long-term impact stories.

4. Approved Tools List

• Coaching Software: Primary tool for managing the coach-coachee relationship. It will be used for scheduling all one-on-one and group sessions, securely storing session notes and progress updates, and tracking the evolution of individual action plans and goals aligned with the GROW model.
• LMS (Learning Management System): Primary tool for delivering the structured curriculum. It will host all asynchronous learning modules (video workshops, readings, exercises), track participant progress and completion, house the resource library, and administer pre/post surveys for KPI measurement.
• Internal Social Network: Critical support tool to foster the community element essential for this audience. It will provide a dedicated, safe space for peer-to-peer support, discussion forums on weekly topics, networking among participants, and announcements from coaches.

Justification: This trio covers all critical facets: structured learning (LMS), professional guidance management (Coaching Software), and community building (Internal Social Network). Personality Tests could be a distraction; Onboarding/ERG platforms are too broad. Mentorship Software is not selected as the primary layer is coaching, though its features could be reviewed if the supplemental mentorship component scales significantly.

5. Resource & Content Library

Training Content for Coaches

• Guide: "Applying the GROW Model in a Group Setting for Career Return"
• Article Series: "Understanding the Gender Confidence Gap and Imposter Syndrome"
• Video Workshop: "Facilitating Difficult Conversations on Bias and Work-Life Integration"
• Guide: "Techniques for Building Accountability and Grit in Coachees"
• Resource List: "Evidence-Based Frameworks for Negotiation and Executive Presence Training"

Training Content for Coachees

• Module 1 - Vision & Purpose: "The Story of Your Break: Reframing Your Narrative" workbook; "Values Elicitation and Goal Setting" exercise; "Crafting Your Personal Leadership Statement" guide.
• Module 2 - Career Re-Evolution: "Negotiation Scripts for Returners" toolkit; "Strategic Thinking: From Operational to Visionary" video series; "Quieting Your Inner Critic" mindfulness audio exercises.
• Module 3 - Relationships & Networks: "How to Identify and Secure a Sponsor" playbook; "The Art of the Informational Interview" checklist; "Building Your Board of Allies" mapping template.
• Module 4 - Action & Leadership: "The Grit & Grace Project Plan" template for a re-entry action; "Leading Change from Where You Are" case studies; "Sustaining Momentum Post-Program" sustainability plan.