How does ‘IZUN’ – the unique and exclusive Israeli program built by ‘Jasmine’ – succeed in supporting and training women business owners for senior positions in the Israeli market?
A moment before the creation of the next ‘IZUN’ “team”, the details behind the success of the program and of the joint process shared by mentor, Tami Engel and mentee and program participant, Hadas Fouks Blum, are revealed
Continuing to build the financial female leadership cadre in Israel: ‘Izun’- meaning Balance in Hebrew – is the only program in Israel built as a goal-oriented program, including objectives and strategy, therefore achieving actual goals, and accompanying and training participants on their way to director and other senior positions.
The secret to success as defined by ‘Jasmine’ organization, is located in the ability to identify the needs of women business owners and then tailor action models and specific programs that are based on objectives and measurable outcomes around those needs. The model which ‘Jasmine’ follows is already contributing to the Israeli society and financial market and promoting a growing economy and society. One of the most interesting outcomes of this model is its continuity and ever-growing cadre of women leaders. This phenomena is hugely supported by the fact that a majority of the female financial leaders in Israel’s market today, have joined in with ‘Jasmine’ in general and the ‘IZUN’ program specifically, mentoring and training more and more women to take up senior positions, and consequently the graduates of the program, in turn, take on the mentoring and training of more women who join ‘Jasmine’.
These days, ‘Jasmine’ is choosing the ‘IZUN’ program “team” who will join the program opening on June 11th, 2019 in the ‘Rupin Academic Center’, Hefer Valley. These women are expected to join the new cadre of women directors in Israel upon completion. A moment before the opening of the next program cycle, here is a glance into the process shared by Tami Engel, an ‘IZUN’ mentor, and Hadas Fouks Blum, an ‘IZUN’ graduate (2017 cycle), who was appointed as a director for the first time, upon finishing the program.
Tami Engel (53), serves as business manager and acting chairwoman of the Maagan Michael Kibutz businesses, and joined ‘Jasmine’ after she “fell in love with the idea of promoting women to more senior management positions”. Engel: “I believe in women serving in management positions’ since they have additional layers to offer and I believe in Jasmine’s vision- it is a pleasure to belong to the ‘Jasmine’ family.
It is now the third year that Engel is serving as a lecturer for the management of change in the ‘IZUN’ program, accompanying the participants of the program and pushing them to achieve the objectives they have placed: “Being a mentor is not a one-sided job. Both sides benefit”, she says, and explains how she accompanies the mentee on her road to achiving her goals: ” I know haw to help the program participant lay out her path in the direction of the goals she chooses for herself. The mentoring allows us to sit together in a structured framework in order to think together how she might reach her goals- it is a safe space for observing. It is worth mentioning that the process requires participating in the meetings and completing the homework. There is no magic to it, whomever wants to reach her goal must work/ The mentor holds the little flashlight that shows the way, but one must walk her path on one’s own two feet”.
One of the participants that Angel mentored is Hadas Fouks Blum, who became a General Manager and served as a director for the first time, upon completing the course. “Hadas arrived highly motivated and here it is important to point out that the work towards achieving one’s goal is mostly the person’s aiming there”, summarizes Engel, who also reminds women that: “You can reach any senior position. All you need to do is fear less and do more”.
Hadas Fouks Blum (54), a financial consultant for small and medium businesses, and a financial expert, relates that the process’ contribution was immense: “Personally and professionally, Tammy is an amazing mentor whose analyzing abilities have helped me a lot through the learning process. Also, she is a CEO, and I am a consultant for many companies and I have set myself the objective of becoming a CEO myself, an objective that I have achieved following our joint process, when one of the companies I accompany appointed me General Manager at 60% effort while continuing my consulting in the remainder of the time”.
Another success Fouks Blum experienced was being chosen to serve as a director in a public company that was in the process of being sold. To the question how ‘IZUN’ helped her to reach her objectives and goals, she says: “The mentoring process helped me from the basic details, such as improving my CV and through to focusing: deepening my knowledge and understanding of management positions and the way in which to reach them. This is in addition to the diploma I received of what is definitely the number 1 program in the country. It gave me added value by introducing me to women from all over the country and from various backgrounds and sectors. It is important to point out that the combination between the theoretical and practical parts in the program is fundamental. In addition, the participants were serious, highly motivated and hardworking, we worked in both in groups and one-on-one and the instructors were senior leading personas in the Israeli market”.