Mission Pod™: Empowering Female Engineers to fix the “Broken Rung”

This case study outlines the transformation of nine high-potential female engineers in the technology division of an FTSE 100 retailer over a six-month coaching programme. By the end of the engagement, 50% of participants had achieved promotion, and all had made progress on the goals.

Identifying information has been anonymised to maintain privacy, confidentiality, and uphold ethical standards.

Background

The retailer is committed to reducing inequalities and increasing diverse representation at all levels of its technology division. In response to research by McKinsey which identifies "The Broken Rung" as a critical point where gender parity is disrupted[1], the company acted and selected a group of high-potential female engineers for a tailored group coaching programme aimed at advancing women in tech leadership.

Orientation call

I held an orientation call with the sponsor and participants to clarify expectations ensuring participants understood they were the drivers of their development and programme, while I my role was to facilitate and ensure the programme had structure, provided insight, and accountability. This set a tone of ownership and proactivity that shaped the entire programme.

Developing rapport & establishing trust

The programme began with each participant completing a reflective questionnaire on their personal and professional aspirations and challenges. This pre-work helped orient them to the coaching experience and encouraged clarity and readiness.

Through one-to-one debriefs, I developed a deeper understanding of each participant's unique goals and challenges. This was crucial in helping me understand what mattered to them while assuring they felt understood in return; it helped personalise the programme despite it being delivered in a group setting. The time spent building trust and rapport through one-to-ones laid the groundwork for the openness and vulnerability that was to emerge later.

Creating cohesion

In the first session, we established clear rules of engagement. This contracting process enabled the participants to define how they wanted to interact with each other. The group co-created a set of statements they signed up to, like "We are respectful of each other's opinions" and "We are vulnerable and open, comfortable in being uncomfortable" etc.

Vulnerability and Unity

One of the key early exercises involved participants sharing a personal object that represented how they felt about the programme. Using these objects as proxies, they were able to express their emotions more freely, setting the tone for vulnerability and authentic exchanges.

The group co-created a mission statement by exploring "who" they are, "what" their contribution is, "why" it matters, and "how" they show up. This exercise fostered a sense of unity and purpose that became a critical motivational tool, revisited multiple times during the programme providing focus and energy.

Action-oriented goal setting

From the outset, each participant identified clear, actionable goals. Sharing these goals within the group increased accountability, and speaking their ambitions and actions aloud to their peers created a powerful commitment loop.

By the third session, all participants had begun making tangible progress toward their goals. However, at this point, some expressed a dip in confidence. To address this, I introduced the 'Comfort, Stretch, Panic' model, where participants examined the degree, their daily activity resided in each mode and the impact this had on their confidence. This reflective tool helped them gain perspective on their growth leading to breakthroughs in redressing the dip in confidence.

Emotional Awareness

As the group bonded, we examined emotions using the Emotional Archetypes Framework. Each member identified the degree of connection they have with their emotions as well as their ability to describe them.

This exercise revealed a spectrum of emotional awareness, from those who suppressed their feelings to those who were overwhelmed by them.

The group was challenged to consider how they might shift toward Emotional Freedom, where emotions are welcomed as valuable signals rather than barriers. The exercise empowered them to make "friends" with their emotions, giving them greater confidence, clarity, and self-compassion.

Action Learning and collective problem-solving

In another session, participants worked through their real-world challenges using the Action Learning method, a powerful tool for group-based problem-solving. The diversity within the group, in terms of background and depth of experience, was a strength, while their similarities garnered authentic empathy and understanding.

Challenges shared ranged from Imposter Syndrome during interviews through to role-specific issues; the group's collective wisdom provided profound insight, solutions, and encouragement. The hive-mind created breakthrough moments, with participants leaving with deeper insight and practical solutions.

One participant later reflected, "If I hadn't heard another delegate's experience in overcoming their fear of applying for a promotion, I wouldn't have applied for promotion myself." This highlights the powerful influence of peer inspiration and the ripple effect of shared experiences.

Results and Impact

By the end of the programme, 50% of the participants had achieved promotion—a tangible testament to the coaching programme's success. Moreover, everyone had demonstrated significant progress in self-awareness, leadership readiness, and goal achievement.

Some realised their initial goals didn't align with their values and recalibrated, while others, who had achieved their original objectives, set new, more ambitious goals.

This coaching programme helped women advance in their careers and equipped them with leadership capabilities to serve them in the future. Participants expressed increased confidence, improved self-understanding, and a stronger peer support network.

Here are some highlights of the outcomes:

50% of participants were promoted to leadership roles within six months
Increased confidence and clarity
Development of emotional intelligence leading to better workplace communication and decision-making
Strengthened peer support network and culture of mentorship

Conclusion

This coaching programme was more than a training experience—it was a transformative journey. Through empowerment-focused coaching, a safe yet challenging environment was created, where action-oriented learning enabled these high-potential female engineers to gain the skills, confidence, and mindset to break through the barriers of "The Broken Rung" and accelerate their leadership trajectory.

As a coach, I had the privilege of witnessing career advancements and personal transformations as each participant stepped into their professional power with confidence, clarity, purpose, and with the unwavering knowledge they could do it for themselves.

If you are interested in finding out how our Group Coaching Mission Pods can help you, please get in touch.

[1] Where fewer women are promoted to the first level of management compared to men