Design-Led Innovation for Women’s Career Growth
Guidewire Synergy, Nashville, Tennessee — Aug. 16, 2023
In a historic gathering of design-led innovation and inclusivity, Guidewire hosted its largest in-person design thinking workshop to date during the Synergy event in Nashville, Tennessee in 2023.
The GROW Design Thinking Workshop, organized by Guidewire’s User Experience and Information Experience teams in partnership with Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) and the employee resource group GROWguide, marked a significant milestone in our commitment to fostering inclusiveness, career growth, and retention for women at Guidewire.
With 50 enthusiastic participants, 40 interviewees, and a team of 10 dedicated design thinking facilitators, the event became a catalyst for transformative change.
A human-centered challenge sparks transformation
We embarked on a profound journey with a simple yet powerful question:
How might we retain and grow women at Guidewire in a world where women at all levels feel they are not encouraged and supported to bring their authentic selves to reach their career aspirations and therefore end up leaving Guidewire?
This challenge isn’t just a question; it’s a reflection of our commitment to empowering every member of our Guidewire community.
Diverse solutions
The 50 participants, divided into 10 teams, embarked on a journey to find actionable solutions. They engaged in open and meaningful conversations with colleagues, spanning various corporate levels and teams. These interviews provided invaluable insights into the challenges and opportunities facing women at Guidewire.
An executive panel of judges
John Mullen (GROWguide executive sponsor), along with executives such as Micheal Howe, Amy Mollin, Jeff Cooper, Christina Colby, Sinead Condon, Brandi Riggins, and Michael Mahoney, joined the event as panelists. Their presence underscored our collective dedication to addressing women’s career growth and retention.
The top solutions that promise to bring change
Guidewire “The Voice” campaign — 1st Place
Team: Victoria Barrett (DT coach), Ann Varakukala, Brit Voglino, Debra Weber, Angela Wolterstorff
A safe forum for employee dialogue and a team toolbox that aims to foster a culture of authenticity, meaningful relationships, mutual empowerment, active listening, and inclusiveness to ensure that no one’s input, voice, or ideas are left unheard. The program includes a personal brand kit that equips employees with the tools, resources, workbooks, and templates to “find their voice,” be their own advocate, and grow their personal brand at Guidewire.
Ally PowerPack — 2nd Place
Team: Maria Banning (DT coach), Ally Redding, Steven Sajous, Monika Schaier, Emmanuel Singletary
A toolkit consisting of many resources, videos, and helpful sites to empower our male allies to talk with women at Guidewire about career advancement and opportunities.
Career Insights Portal — 3rd Place
Team: Amy Gick (DT coach), Prateek Shripal Solanki, Amy Stephenson, Leslie Holden-Mikesell, Colette O’Hea
Career Insights empowers employees at any level to explore career growth within Guidewire. It supports employees by combining a repository of ambassador videos with regular internal “job fairs,” creating opportunities for cross-departmental connections and discovering roles for which they may be a good fit, in any region.
Innovative ideas for career growth, retention, and inclusivity
Beyond the winning solutions, the GROW Design Thinking Workshop generated a multitude of innovative ideas that are poised to make a significant impact. These concepts spanned various aspects of career growth, retention, and inclusivity.
Some teams proposed resource portals, job fairs, and talent exchange programs, all aimed at enhancing a sense of belonging and fostering career advancement. Other teams explored mentorship programs, career frameworks, and AI-driven career coaching tools to empower Guidewire employees on their professional journeys. These diverse and forward-thinking ideas showcased the depth of creativity and collaboration participating teams have displayed.
Inspiration, reflection, and a commitment to amplify our voices
The GROW Design Thinking Workshop wasn’t just an event; it was an awakening. We felt inspired and empowered to create meaningful change.
Participants resolved to be more inclusive, open, and authentic at work.
Next steps: bringing solutions to life
Our journey doesn’t end with the GROW Design Thinking Workshop; it’s just the beginning. The generated solutions are not mere concepts but actionable initiatives that will soon come to life within Guidewire.
These transformative ideas will be integrated into our corporate goals and measures, ensuring they become an integral part of our organizational DNA.
Moreover, all GROW participants are invited to actively contribute to implementing these solutions, making them a collaborative effort that resonates throughout our company.
But it doesn’t stop there
Inspired by the resounding success of this monumental event, we are expanding our design thinking workshops. Two dedicated editions will cater to our APAC region, with the first one scheduled for October 23rd-26th, 2023. The response has been overwhelming, with participants from all corners of Guidewire eager to join this exciting journey.
We’re keeping the momentum going, embracing design thinking as a powerful tool to drive positive change and innovation within our teams and across the entire organization. Together, we’ll continue shaping a Guidewire that empowers, includes, and inspires.
