Volunteer engagement between organisations conjures up images of employees digging community gardens, putting on office bake sales and running marathons in aid of charity. While all undoubtedly noble actions for noble causes, sometimes B2B engagement stems from fostering collaboration between two, perhaps unlikely, organisations. Social enterprise Women Ahead, which uses a cross-company mentoring scheme to encourage more women to climb the career ladder, is a volunteer-led programme with a difference.

Women Ahead social enterprise develops the pipeline and parity of women on boards and in senior leadership roles. Ran on behalf of the eponymous 30% Club, an organisation whose goal is to achieve a minimum of 30% women on FTSE 100 boards, the Women Ahead mentoring scheme focuses on how external engagement leads to tangible change at boardroom level.

At its first event of 2017, a mid-way point for the 500 mentoring scheme participants, a plethora of Women Ahead ambassadors came together in London, in recognition of the positive effect mentoring has on employees. Taking a cross-company approach, the Women Ahead scheme sees collaboration between companies as a main springboard for career success.

Joanna Santinon, tax partner at EY and member of the 30% Club steering committee, began the event by describing how the 30% Club began as a collaborative campaign. Despite a concerted effort by companies, charities, and organisations, says Santinon, its target of 30% females at boardroom level has not yet been achieved. Last year, figures show that UK boards were, on average, 29% female; the number of women on boards in the FTSE 100 flatlined.

Yet while demoralising, says Santinon, through mentoring the 30% Club provides encouragement and motivation for women determined to reach these senior level positions. And this is not always through the most conventional of ways.

Advice from Kirk Vallis, creativity coach and head of creative development at Google, described mentoring ‘the ultimate disruption.’ “As mentors you are naïve experts on the problems faced by others,” says Vallis. “Bring questions and build answers.” This goes for both mentor and mentoree, he explains. Without disruption, nothing changes – “Two brains are always better than one.”

And, says Sue Unerman, chief strategy officer at MediaCom UK and co-author of new book, The Glass Wall, the workplace differences between how men and women operate must be recognised before changes occur. “In today’s workplace there’s a glass wall – men and women see each other through it, but don’t speak the same language or have the same expectations,” Unerman says. This, she argues, means leaders should be hyperaware of individual personality.

Unerman continues, “When you are in a leadership role, take time to spot the talent in your team. You may have to slow down and look harder for the creativity in the more reserved people, but you will miss out if you don’t.”

Finally, Maggie Alphonsi MBE, England Rugby World Cup winner and ITV Six Nations commentator, interpreted her own success through the contact she had with various mentors. “Mentors see through your self-limiting beliefs,” says Alphonsi. “They push you to expect more of yourself, and to become the best leader you can be. I wouldn’t be the person I am today without the support of the fantastic and varied mentors I have had.”

The Women Ahead 30% Club mid-programme mentoring event was held on February 21 at the QEII Centre in Westminster. For more information on what Women Ahead offer or to get involved, visit the Women Ahead website.