Page 22 - Gi flipbook March 2018

one way, there will be a formative of the results and you see people political management – and that
stage and I think it’s important not to progressing and changing direction – doesn’t suit everyone. I’m very keen on
be too defensive. There’s a phase of that’s when you see the rewards. career paths that don’t force everyone
acceptance, followed by an What do you love about your job? into being a manager. There is
understanding of what things you can Definitely the people. I get to see the sometimes an expectation that
tolerate and what you can’t tolerate. people I work with develop and grow management is where you move to and,
and realise their potential. If you can if you don’t make it, then you just stop
What does an average day look help someone who has been doubting on the chain and never go any further.
like for you? themselves and then see them
I get up and do about 40 minutes of succeed; that’s brilliant. I like shaping I’m sure men never get asked this
back exercises and then I wake my things, I like changing things. I always question, but do you find it easy to
daughter up, get us both some say to people, don’t give me a juggle your work and your home life?
breakfast and get us both out of the handle-turning job. I will change it and It changes all the time. When the kids
house. I try to check the day before it could be disruptive if that thing is were little it was very regimented
what meetings I have the next day and actually working in the first place. and I had to leave the office on time
what is coming up, but I’ll do another to get the kids from nursery (I was
quick check in the morning. This tends You’d redesign the handle? always late). I could always do the
to be when I get a bit of time to do Yes, I’m good with stuff that doesn’t balancing, the main thing to deal with
things and do some thinking. After work and needs fixing. is the guilt; the thought that you’re
that, my schedule tends to be fairly not doing a good job as a mother and
back-to-back with various meetings, Do you have any advice for people you’re not doing a good job at work,
sessions, management things, one-to- who are looking to move from because you are always compromised
ones, mentoring, steering groups, engineering into management? Did by the other thing. You have to get
leadership groups. The days tend to you have to take an MBA? over that, because you can make that
be quite varied, but fairly packed. I didn’t. I signed up for one because a reality, whereas if you have happy
Then, by 5pm, I have time again for the company would have paid for it, parents you have happy children. If
reflection and thinking about what but then I remembered that when I going to work gives you purpose and
needs to be done for the rest of the finished my engineering course I driving value is what makes you
week. Then I go home and make vowed not to take anymore exams. I happy, then that’s what you should
dinner, if my husband has not already thought to myself, what am I really be doing to make your children
done so as we share the household getting out of this? It felt like I was happy. Then all you have to do is
chores between us. just doing it to get a badge, rather balance the practicalities.
than because I had any real passion
It sounds like a lot of people are for it. As it turned out, I had my first I hear about ‘the guilt’ from the
taking bits from you. Do you ever child, which would have been right in women I work with all the time,
have times when you need to sit the middle of doing it, so timing-wise but I never hear it from my male
quietly and just get something done? it would have been quite difficult. To colleagues.
Yes, it becomes quite difficult. I tend date, I‘ve not needed it, but this is No, but I think there are a lot more
to block time out – I put it in as a without testing the outside market men now who have to balance their
secret meeting. where people need things on paper to home lives and that are a lot more
get an interview and get a foot in the involved in childcare. Society expects it
A meeting with yourself? door and be credible. I believe I have a lot more from men these days and I
Yes, I just try and steal the time! I call learned as much as I would learn on think it’s helped to have more balanced
it planning and strategy. But the any MBA in the practical application rights in terms of parental leave.
majority of my role is about of change and managing people,
leadership, making decisions, shaping managing different business situations, Why would you say it’s
things, trying to help others. I deliver moving a business from working in important for women to pursue
through other people now, which can one way to working in another way. If engineering careers?
be a difficult thing to move into. you want to work in a managerial role I think women do think differently.
Sometimes it makes you question you need to be sure that it’s for you. Men and women are different and
yourself and your self-worth. When You do spend a lot of time not doing there’s no point in trying to pretend
you’re not the one doing ‘the doing’ ‘the doing’; you’re influencing others, that we are exactly the same. Women
you wonder, am I actually adding providing them with space, giving will come at a problem in a different
value? But then when you see some them air cover, dealing with more way and that’s why diversity is
important. And it’s not just women
and men; it can be different
Men and women are different and backgrounds, different upbringings,
different beliefs. You’ll get a much
there’s no point in trying to pretend that better, more rounded solution if
we are exactly the same. Women will you’ve got a diversity of thinking.
Engineering is fundamental to
come at a problem in a different way everything we do and the way the
and that’s why diversity is important world is going. The people that
benefit from engineering are from all

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