Coming Full CIRCLE: Strengthening team cultures for Empowering Women in Pakistan

Introduction:?

Empowering organizations to pursue their goals is the bread and butter of Training Impact. Our interventions work on identifying the potential of organizations and helping them unleash that potential.??

On this journey, we met a new partner, working on a unique challenge: an organization not into selling a product or service but working towards a mission they believe is essential to Pakistan’s economic and social development.??

Drum-roll, please!?

Circle Women Association?

The Circle Women Association is dedicated to uplifting women through improving digital literacy and eradicating barriers towards home-based earning. In this mission, they are supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Till now, they have successfully trained 7000 low-income women, +5000 E-Wallets, and 700+ women-led micro businesses in 80+ cities of Pakistan.????

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The Circle Women Association (CWA) goal is important for Pakistan. Therefore, how they pursue their goal also matters a great deal. A few months ago, their all-female top management, led by their CEO, Sadaffe Abid, strongly felt that to achieve their goals, they had to enrich their culture by strengthening trust, high performance, and open communication. Fortunately, they partnered with Training Impact to introduce some critical interventions. Our team thoroughly enjoyed working with them. We learned as much from them as they did from us. ?

Our work with them was focused on recognizing the significance of enhancing skills and behaviors for practical goal setting and achieving goals as a team. ? ?

Testimonials?

“The overall experience of training was good. The wilderness part was excellent and absolutely amazing.? It was unique & very well designed. The staff was very professional, the location was very well chosen, each part was very thoughtful & learning experience.”?

Fazli Hadi?

Assistant Manager Research?

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“Good teamwork! Know how to control minds and handle people. It was a good way to engage every single person in discussion and in activity. Through reality and case study you teach us very sensitive and difficult things which are not possible to explain in normal conversation.”?

Aziza Soleh?

Area Coordinator?

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Here’s how this intervention spanned out.???

Step 1: We had detailed meetings with Sadaffe and her team. Our goal was to understand the work that they do, and how they do it.??

Step 2: We pointed out specific aspects of their culture, team relationships and behaviors that were pivotal to succeeding in their work.??

Step 3: In order to deepen the desired behaviors and strengthen relationships, we designed events, programs and outbreaks. Each of these used the power of experiential learning to help them play out their strengths during the challenges that were introduced by our facilitators. Using those challenges as metaphors, we together dived into facilitated reviews. These reviews helped identify what their pain points were. They challenged team members to overcome previously held beliefs and assumptions and pursue elevated performance.??

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Each of these interventions sought to create a space where team members could freely challenge each other, voice opinions, and deliberate on individual and collective areas of improvement. ?

Here’s an overview of the programs CIRCLE undertook to take leaps forward.??

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First off, they did a Team Retreat with their whole team out in the hills. Herein, the focus was enabling teamwork and overcoming hurdles to collaboration in the team. They went through a day of navigation tasks and team simulations. They got to push through the challenges together and rise together.??

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To cement the teamwork learning, they undertook a second program. This time, we focused on using teamwork as a tool to direct all energies towards setting and achieving audacious goals. This program was a live workshop where they collaboratively discussed and listed critical goals, all the while learning the process and art of goal setting. We also covered the idea that goal setting is a collaborative process, where everyone must be involved to take ownership of the plans.??

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Here’s what CIRCLE Founder & CEO Sadaffe Abid had to say:?

"It has been a true learning experience from opening up our teams to new ideas to challenging themselves to reflect on behaviours on group dynamics. This training has created new possibilities because the mission that CIRCLE is working on is important. It is about women's advancement. It is about contributing to Pakistan's economy and Pakistan's economic prosperity, so I leave with hope and optimism and tools that can help me as a leader to support the CIRCLE and move to its next phase of growth."?

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The Future of Women's Empowerment in the Case of CIRCLE?

Circle Women Association hopes to work for a future where women of any background, skills and sources can break barriers to excel and flourish in this society. Their vision is to empower women to break the cycle of poverty, stand up against disparities and bring positive change in their communities.??

As per the United Nations, Pakistan stands at 142 out of 146 countries on the World Economic Forum's 2023?Global Gender Gap Index..??

Despite the daunting position, organizations like CIRCLE are determined to minimize this gap. Increasing the women's workforce can increase Pakistan's GDP by up to 60%, thus minimizing the gender gap in labour force participation.?

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Circle Women Association

Is working its best to equip the women in Pakistan with knowledge and evidence to support their decision-making and career choices. Their initiatives like She Loves Tech, Digital Literacy Project, Digital Acceleration Program, Tech Karo, and Tech Hub have elevated the growing commitment to the agenda of women's empowerment.??

We wish you the best of luck, CIRCLE Women Association . We’re glad to be your partners on this journey.??

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