Page 23 - Gi flipbook March 2018

backgrounds and of all sexes, so why The 2017 women’s march
would you want the people designing marked a shift in attitudes
the stuff to be from just one
background? I like to think of it as
being like pebbles on the beach –
they are rubbing up against each
other and all the sharp edges get
worn down. I think it’s the same in
the workplace – there will be sharp
edges, there will be times when the
thinking isn’t the same, you’ve got to
really challenge that. You have to
have a few bunfights to get to the
right place. If you just have people
from the same background, thinking
the same way and all agreeing with
each other, that’s not going to create
the world the way it needs to be.
Do you think engineering has a bit of nurture, what people’s perceptions are it will still be in people’s heads. The
an image problem? Is it seen as a bit in the workplace and then ask, what things people used to say and used to
of an old boys’ club? would really make a difference? How believe… we haven’t made people be
I think there are loads of things going do we create the right pipeline? What different, we’ve just made them think
on to improve the image of would encourage women to do more they can’t be open about it.
engineering. I am currently working on science subjects? How do we
a programme called ‘What’s Stopping encourage them to come into our Some of the complaints people have
You?’ which is about ensuring we have business? How do we encourage them about the shift in attitudes feel so
a greater mix of female engineers and to go for different levels of jobs and to insincere to me. I hear them say, “Oh,
also about looking at nature versus try different things? Then we’re hoping soon you won’t even be able to have
nurture. There are things around us all to have a male versus female debate a conversation with a woman!” But
the time that are impacting us on the value of gender diversity. I have women know the difference between
subconsciously and causing us to treat developed a programme of 12 sessions appropriate and inappropriate
people differently. for this year and alongside it we’ll do behaviour, and I think so do they.
more mentoring and coaching. We’ll I was talking to some friends in the
Can you tell me a bit more about also do some work on increasing pub recently and I think there is a bit
the programme? people’s confidence in the workplace of a worry that people won’t be able
I was asked to be Women’s Sponsor for as well. I sent out the programme to to be clumsy, and form relationships
gas transmission and I didn’t really everyone and I got so many emails in a clumsy way, because they are
know what that meant. I hated the idea back saying, “Did you know you sent scared of what will happen.
of putting myself in a ‘women’s’ role this out to men as well?” Yes! This is
because the last thing I want is to have not just a women’s issue! This is an But if that’s the case, women are
my male colleagues thinking that issue for everyone and it won’t do any guilty of that too…
women ought to be treated differently. good to come up with an action plan Absolutely! And that’s exactly it; it’s a
But then I thought, what really is just for the women. two-sided thing. We all know the
needed? There are more men called difference between someone who is
John running FTSE 100 companies than This last year has been an interesting predatory and someone who is just a
there are women. And it’s about 12 months for women, from the day bit bumbling. And I think women are
getting diversity throughout your after Donald Trump was at fault if they abuse that.
business. We have pockets of it – I inaugurated, up to the #metoo
work for a woman, who works for a movement being on the cover of What advice would you give to the
woman (which is amazing – it’s the first Time magazine. I think some female readers of Gi who might want
time I have ever worked for a woman) attitudes are shifting, but I can also to follow in your footsteps?
and I have women working for me, who sense something of a backlash. How I think it’s really important to have a
have women working for them. For the do you feel about that? good network of people, inside and
first time in my whole career, I am I think that’s absolutely right. I think outside your company, to surround
working in a chain of females. But there’s a backlash from men, but also yourself with people from diverse
when I look at our operations, our from women too. I would like to bust backgrounds, and remember to ask
heavy engineering-based departments, the myth that women are holding for advice. Don’t be afraid to ask
there’s very few women and even other women back, but I do think in people for help. You won’t know
fewer in leadership roles. That’s why I engineering environments there can be how to solve everything, and if you
came up with this programme, it’s a bias against other women. I also move into a new career you’ll need
about finding out what is holding worry that we might have driven the support and you’ll need help – be
women back. For the first few sessions, non-PC attitude, if I can call it that, open to that and don’t think you can
we are going to look at nature and underground. It won’t have gone away; do it all by yourself. ■

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IsabelleHaigh.indd 4 15/02/2018 15:51