The Athena Programme involves guided activities to increase awareness, access to resources and practice and participants are expected to negotiate full attendance of all aspects with their organisations.

Programme Modules

Athena has been newly designed to meet the challenges faced by today’s women leaders. It is delivered in four modules over a period of 4–6 months.

Learning Sets

Participants will be expected to participate in three learning sets (one day each) which will be scheduled between the modules.

Coaching

During the programme participants will also receive two, one-to-one executive coaching sessions with one of the Athena programme directors. Each session lasts for 90 minutes.  

Innovative approach to learning

We use an approach which is based on innovative styles of learning through interaction, experience and reflection. It is designed to increase participants’ capacity to learn from the challenges, tensions and problems faced by leaders implementing large-scale change in the public sector. We use evidence-based and progressive adult learning methods to strengthen participants’ ability to make sense of intractable situations and find creative ways forward.

Participants will look at how their own assumptions help or hinder performance, will hone their ability to recognise and work with diversity and conflict, and gain a greater understanding of how to influence others’ behaviour.

Craft great results

Our core aims are to help participants build on and develop their qualities and skills as professionals and to integrate their personal and professional development. We adopt an integrated approach in which emotion, imagination and intellect are valued – they are the raw materials from which great results can be crafted.

On Athena learning is through participation – so participants need to be willing to be open and active in group settings and to take risks. New insights emerge through drawing on personal experience and hearing the experience of others. Decisions about content and method are balanced with participants’ ability to generate knowledge and to be creative.

Support and challenge in safety

We aim to build an effective learning community that supports people to challenge themselves and others with dignity and safety. All participants are jointly responsible for supporting each other’s learning and sharing the rich resources of experience, skills and understanding each brings to the programme.

Catalytic encounters

The Athena programme participants will meet with, and explore the personal stories of, leaders with national reputations. Previous guests include:  

• Baroness May Blood, Member of the House of Lords and BBC Woman of the Year Award Recipient 2006
• Baroness Julia Neuberger, Broadcaster and writer, former Chief
• Executive of The King’s Fund
• Dr David Woodhead, Associate of The King’s Fund and Health Service Journal columnist
• Ms Amanda Wilsher, Actress and theatre director, international business consultant
• Dr Eden Charles, Director of People Opportunities Ltd, international expert on diversity and equality
• Miss Felicity Palmer CBE, International mezzo-soprano
• Ms Ghislaine Kenyon, Former Head of Education at Courtauld Institute, former Deputy Head of Education at the National Gallery

We welcome applicants from all areas of the public sector such as NHS, social services, police force and prison services, education, housing services and the civil service, as well as encouraging applications from the voluntary and community sector.

The Athena programme focuses on personal development, and it also has an important wider purpose – to enhance the leadership capacity of organisations. We aim to increase participants’ ability to contribute more effectively within their own organisations and to collaborate with new partners.

The benefits to participants and their organisation include:

• Improved performance
• Increased confidence and personal authority/presence
• A greater awareness of your personal impact and effectiveness
• Increased emotional and political literacy
• A greater range of creative responses to challenging situations
• Increased leadership competence linked to corporate goals
• Increased confidence as a woman leader

Judy Taylor is the Programme Director for the Athena programme. She has directed hundreds of development programmes for senior leaders both nationally and internationally and currently directs The King's Fund's leadership programmes for clinical directors/lead clinicians, consultants and clinical teams. Judy also offers team development work and 1:1 coaching and has a background in policy and management and a Masters degree in Public Policy.

2010 – Intake II

• Module I : 22–25 November 2010 (London)
• Module II : 25–28 January 2011 (Residential – Venue TBC – accommodation provided)
• Module III : 1–3 March 2011 (London)
• Module IV : 4–6 May 2011 (London)

Coaching Dates:

• 26 November 2010
• 24 January 2011
• 4 March 2011
• 3 May 2011

You will be required to attend two of the coaching sessions above, the dates will be decided once the programme commences. Please hold all dates and let us know as soon as possible if you will be unable to attend a specific date.

Participants: 24

£5,995 + VAT, not including travel and accommodation for London modules

We ask all applicants to complete an enquiry form which can be downloaded below.  Applicants will then be interviewed by telephone to review learning needs. It is best to do this early as places are often oversubscribed.

For further information contact Elaine Colaco, programme administrator, telephone 020 7307 2556 or email e.colaco@kingsfund.org.uk.

Applicants from black and minority ethnic groups within London may be eligible for a bursary. Please contact us for more information.

• Athena programme application form (101 kb)
• Athena programme application form (100 kb)
• Equal opportunities document (56 kb)
• Cancellation policy (45 kb)