Our clients
Working with a diverse range of individuals and organisations
At Becoming we are immensely proud of our clients, working with amazing women and organisations around the world to lead unapologetic lives.
>1000
individuals
>80
organisations
18
countries
Unapologetic women
On our mission to help women to lead unapologetic lives, we have the privilege of working with fabulous women.
They come from all walks of life, they work in a range of industries and roles, and they lead diverse and interesting lives. Working with us is just one of the journeys that they walk, and yet they tell us that it has a profound impact.
Read their stories below to learn more.
Describe your experience of the Becoming Journey.
The Becoming Journey has been completely life-changing for me. There are things I have learnt and I do now, as a result of Becoming, that are so second nature I don’t even notice I do them. I stay grounded using techniques learned and recognise and anticipate my reactions and emotions, enabling me to make choices about how I want to respond. I am able to stay authentic and true to me, whilst finding my voice to do what is important.
What impact has the Becoming Journey had for you?
After the Journey, I have been promoted to the Senior Leadership Team, reporting to the CEO. Before Becoming, I was told and acknowledge I wasn’t ready, I needed to be less emotionally led. I’ve now been in role for nearly a year, and feedback is that I’m more of the calming voice in the room, and that I have fitted in and claimed my space on the team. It has also helped me in making some of those difficult professional decisions as it has been a challenging year economically, and yet through applying my learning I’ve been able to own the role, trust myself and make those decisions.
What would you say to women considering the Becoming Journey?
Actually, I suggested that one of my team take the journey too. My advice was that it could literally change her life, as long as she was prepared to challenge herself and what she thinks she stands for. It isn’t comfortable, you must be prepared to let go, to unpick some beliefs, to trust the process and then decide how you want to move forward for the future.
What made you join the Becoming Journey?
I did the Journey back in April 2021. At that time I had a vision of growing the business, but I wasn’t sure how to do it or perhaps even if I could do it. I was looking for something to help me develop my confidence in my own abilities.
Which parts of the Journey were most useful to you and why?
The most valuable part of the journey was identifying my values and creating my compass. That has stayed with me since the programme and I constantly come back to it in my business and home life. For example, it shapes my decisions about the kind of clients we work with and how we take the business forward.
The other thing that I still use is noticing my thoughts and feelings and unhooking from them. So I notice the feelings that come up, for example when I get a funny feeling in my stomach about a decision that I have to make, and I question what is making me feel that way. It helps me to make a more informed choice about how I want to act.
What is different for you, two years later?
Personally, I’m more comfortable and confident in myself. I speak up more, give my opinion and challenge clients on all sorts of things from the business issues they are facing to how they work with me and my team. And professionally, I’ve fulfilled my vision. The business has grown from just me to a team of four, and we’re looking to recruit a fifth team member soon.
Alison Paton is the Director of Align People HR providing full employee lifecycle HR services to SME clients.
Courageous clients
The clients that we work with all have one thing in common. They are courageous enough to want to do things differently. They can see the challenges that their organisations face, and they want a solution that goes beyond traditional approaches.
Read more about their experiences below.
This UK government agency employs over 12,000 people globally, supporting all branches of the armed forces. They came to us because they recognise the internal and external challenges that women face in their organisational culture. They wanted help to support those women, especially those identified as high potential, to develop their careers and progress within the organisation.
We co-created a bespoke version of the Becoming Journey, aiming to support women to develop their own identity as a leader, to navigate their career journey with authenticity and to build their own support both externally and from within.
“This course has by far been the best personal development opportunity I have ever received; it has given me the tools to recognise my authentic self and be comfortable with who I am.”
The impact of the programme was profound. The women were given not just professional development tools, but personal ones, too. They felt equipped to put themselves forward for promotion, and be their authentic selves. 96% of participants felt their confidence increased and they were prepared to ask for promotion.
So far, the client has rolled out the programme to 26 cohorts, with a further 8 cohorts per year planned for the next year.
This US-headquartered organisation is a world leading designer and manufacturer of vehicle propulsion solutions. They acknowledged the significant under-representation of women in senior roles, and were searching for ways to tackle the challenges facing women in their organisation. They wanted to acknowledge the reality of women’s experiences and help women to address the barriers to career progression.
We offered the client a bespoke version of our Becoming Journey, tailored to help their women reflect on the value that they offer the organisation, to equip them to face challenge and change, and to enable them to lead with purpose.
Across 2 global cohorts so far, the programme has had tangible impact:
- 56% of participants are likely to apply for promotion in the next 3 years
- 67% of participants are likely to take on additional responsibilities in the next 3 years.
- 89% of participants feel fully energised to give more to their organisation
In the words of the women:
“I now have the tools to make decisions and take actions that are genuine to myself and impactful to the organisation”
“My organisation has gained a grounded, diverse voice. I’m not afraid to speak my opinions and thoughts based on my experiences. I think they have gained a compassionate leader that has the skills to grow herself and her team.”
This UK public body is responsible for one of the largest and most complex infrastructure projects ever undertaken in the UK. Founded on a strong principle of inclusion, they are taking proactive action to address the decline in proportion of women represented in higher grades of their organisation.
We worked with the HR team to build a bespoke career development programme, designed to help talented women to overcome challenges, lead authentically and progress in their careers.
Evaluation data gathered from the first cohort shows that:
- 91% of participants rated the programme as excellent
- 92% of participants are likely to take on additional responsibilities in the next 3 years
- 55% of participants are likely to apply for promotion in the next 3 years
- Overall, there was a 60% increase in the number of women reporting that they feel fully energised to give more to their organisation.
The women told us:
“This course has reawakened my enthusiasm for building my experience and knowledge and to understand myself so that I can continue to be motivated in my career journey. This course has supported me to be a better leader and thoughtful in my own development.”
“This programme has changed the way that I think and consider how I am at work. It has encouraged me to think more deeply about how I work as well as the work which I do.”
This UK Police Force was seeking solutions to address concerns around progression from under-represented groups, along with unlocking inclusive leadership pathways into Senior ranks.
We worked with them to design a career development programme to:
- Support Women of Colour to apply for promotion and/or career progression and be successful.
- Provide a space for these women’s voices to be heard.
- Explore the blockages and barriers that are experienced or perceived by this group.
- Honour the experience and stories of the women participating in the programme in a way that is productive for their future career
We have now delivered the programme to nine cohorts. Watch this testimonial video to learn more about the impact of the programme:
The BSA promoted the Becoming Journey to senior women leaders across the industry.
The women joining the programme wanted to find their voice to be heard (in often male-dominated environments), bring people along, find their own leadership approach and take risks. They recognised they had sometimes allowed internal experiences to hold them back from their full potential.
At the end of the four month programme, they left more able to operate at full potential and energised to give to their organisations. Every woman said they would be either applying for promotion or likely to take on new responsibilities in the next three years. In addition, they felt better equipped to face their personal challenges at work.
“The difference to our business if all our female leaders were supported through this course would be immense.” (Kim Roby, Customer Service Director, Chorley Building Society)
“I have left the programme as a more confident leader, ready to support my organisation in some of the more strategic challenges it is facing.” (Emily Morton, Head of Legal, Principality Building Society)
The full evaluation report is available to download:
Watch this testimonial video to find out more about the impact of the programme:
Talk with us.
Get in touch to explore developing unapologetic women leaders in your business, or for one of our brochures.
