INTHEBLACK August 2024 - Flipbook - Page 61
momentum, and others are looking towards
their twilight years of succession or sale,”
Harding says. “It is a very eclectic group.”
She believes the diversity is fundamental
to the group’s success.
“That is the magic of how it works –
there is no competitive conflict of interest.
They can bring their whole selves to the table
for discussion,” Harding says.
Each member is “one among equals – that
by its very definition is what a peer means”.
As chair, Harding vets each new member
to ensure they share the group’s values.
“You cannot bring someone to the table
who does not contribute,” she says.
“The only way this group really works –
and any mentoring relationship can work –
is with a very sound foundation of trust.”
BRAVE SPACE
Peer mentorship has boundaries. A peer mentor
draws on their own experience but is not there
to be a consultant or give advice, Harding says.
“They are there to show genuine curiosity and
ask questions.”
The most successful peer mentors ask
insightful questions, offer observations and
give feedback. “They hold up a mirror,” she says.
A peer is more likely to be impartial than
a colleague or a work associate. “There is no
unconscious bias,” Harding says. “There is no
skin in the game for them.”
The leaders in the CFO Women’s Circles she
facilitates offer each other support in two broad
areas, Rosen adds.
One is technical. “A member might come to
the group with questions such as ‘Who else has
been through running an IPO for the first time?’
Or ‘Who else has implemented this particular
ERP?’” Rosen says.
The other is around leadership skills and
challenges such as “workshopping ways to
get a message heard and understood in the
executive team”.
Confidentiality is key. A shared understanding
that what participants discuss will remain
private allows each member to reveal
their vulnerability.
“We call it a brave space, not a safe space,”
Harding says. “‘Safe space’ suggests that you
do not get out of your comfort zone. We talk
courageously and honestly in our brave space.”
In this trusting setting, a peer mentor can
help another leader identify their blind spots,
Harding says.
Sounding out an independent mentor –
or a group of them – with a new idea can
foreshadow the reactions in a real-life setting.
“You will have a fairly good idea of what your
board or other stakeholders in the business
might say to your ideas or your observations
or your requests for change,” Harding says.
“You will be a lot better equipped – and that
brings success.”
“CFOs have a particular
range of challenges
that they find hard to
share with somebody
else. There is a lot
of work that finance
people do that is highly
confidential and very
sensitive that cannot
be shared widely.”
SUE ROSEN, CFO WOMEN’S CIRCLE
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