.................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
'Be Your Authentic Self'
Message To Women Working In Water
Tania Flasck
Turner & Townsend director Tania Flasck
shares insights and advice from her own experience ahead of British Water’s
Women in Water event
Just
20% of the workforce in the UK water industry is female* – an
imbalance the sector is working hard to correct.
British
Water is leading the way with its second Women in Water event, taking place in
Manchester in October.
Tania
Flasck, director and head of UK infrastructure at Turner & Townsend, the
global professional services consultancy, will be among the speakers.
Turner
& Townsend is also event sponsor.
With
over 25 years’ water and utilities experience, Tania is passionate about
supporting women in the sector.
Here,
she shares some insights and tells us why Women in Water is so important.
Why do
we need events like Women in Water?
Events like this are hugely important because they provide a safe forum for
women to be open about challenges, share their experiences and learn from
others.
They
also provide an opportunity to make good connections, seek out support and grow
your network.
All of
this is valuable for personal development and building confidence.
What do
you hope the event will achieve?
I’m expecting some really positive outcomes.
We’ll
be sharing stories and insights and people should come away with some tools to
help them manage their career and balance multiple demands.
The
previous event was very well received, and this will build on that.
We’ve
looked at the feedback and requests from the earlier event and will be drilling
into some specific topics, such as career goals and confidence building.
What
can we expect from the presentations and workshops?
All the speakers are aiming to make the event hands-on and engaging.
The day
won’t just be one-way dialogue, it will be mainly workshop-style, so fast-paced
and hopefully fun. We’ve got a lot to pack in.
We’ll
all be talking candidly about our experiences and learning and sharing.
Inevitably, there will be some great connections made, as there were last time.
What
advice would you give women about to enter the water industry?
I’ve got three bits of advice:
Don’t try and be something you’re not - be your authentic self.
Leverage
your strengths and focus on what you can do well. Don’t dwell on your
weaknesses.
Take
pride in what you do.
Water
is a really amazing sector; it truly sustains life. You’ll be making a real
difference and I’ve found being part of that so satisfying.
Be open
to new challenges. You might automatically think you can’t do something, when
you actually can.
I see
this a lot in people. If you have an opportunity presented to you, always
consider it and try to take it.
You
will always get help and support along the way. Don’t be afraid.
And
what would you say to women who don’t feel they’re getting the right career
support?
One of
the most common things I see is people not asking for help, not reaching out to
others.
Talk to
someone you trust and tell them about the situation, to get an objective view.
It’s easy to jump to assumptions about people’s intent but this is often misplaced, so a fresh perspective can be important.
If you
still don’t feel supported, think through your options, talk these through,
create some space to think - clear your mind by going for a walk or doing
something different.
Think
how you can turn the situation around. Think carefully and don’t jump to
conclusions or make snap decisions.
Nine
times out of 10, the real issue is communication, or a lack of. Positive intent
is normally there.
What is
being done to address the gender imbalance in the water industry?
I’ve noticed that there is a real desire for change with a lot of sharing
between companies.
The
gender imbalance is not going to be fixed overnight but the intent is there, as
is a real commitment, from what I can see in most organisations.
We need
to continue to share approaches across the sector.
I sit
on the Highways England Supplier Diversity Forum, which includes contractors
and consultants, and collaborating in this way is very powerful.
What
can be done to encourage more young women to take up STEM careers?
I’m passionate about starting to engage as early as possible. Role models are
so important.
I was
lucky to have a great role model in my mum, who was a forklift truck training
instructor.
She had a great career in a massively male-dominated world and she loved it.
There
should be obvious focus on primary and secondary education, and key is
normalising all careers with no gender bias or stereotyping.
Subtle
messaging from teachers and parents makes a real difference, and storytelling
can be very powerful. Social media can help with this.
Finally,
organisations like ourselves have a huge role in outreach.
At
Turner & Townsend, we actively encourage all staff to take part in
corporate responsibility community work to help with role model visibility.
Even if
you influence one person, it’s been a success.
What
kind of support have you received that has made a difference to your career?
Coaches, sponsors and mentors have all been critical to my career.
The
late Dr Stephen Bird, who we sadly lost recently, was managing director of
South West Water and was one of my first bosses.
He
intimidated me initially, but I respected him hugely. He was an absolute rock
and would always challenge me in a constructive way to think differently.
I would
not have been able to address some of the challenges in my career without his
sage advice.
Finally,
what do you hope to get from Women in Water?
I’m really looking forward to learning, sharing, getting involved and making
some new connections.
About British Water
British Water is the lead representative and business development organisation
for the UK water industry supply chain. For more information, visit
www.britishwater.co.uk.
* Figure
taken from Energy & Utility Skills https://www.euskills.co.uk/about/our-industries/water/
Source: British Water
The Information Source
for the Water and Wastewater Treatment Industries
Welcome to Water Online,
the preeminent Internet source of useful and timely information about the water
and wastewater industry. If you are a professional in this field, you will have
rapid access to a comprehensive web site dealing with the basic operational
elements of this industry: the resource management, supply, treatment and
distribution of drinking water, and the collection, treatment and disposal of
wastewater, as well as the many ancillary functions that accompany them, for
example, stormwater management and sludge conditioning and disposal.
The
Water Online database serves the information needs of engineers, planners,
operational and financial managers, business executives, consultants, elected
officials, government personnel and others who are involved in the municipal
water supply industry, and the municipal and industrial wastewater treatment
field. Reflecting the dynamic and interactive character of the Internet, Water
Online is the most convenient source of technical, operational, product,
management and regulatory information available for this industry.
Please
take a moment to join our
community and discover the benefits of your free membership.
Who
are our clients? The leading manufacturers in the water and wastewater industry
have recognized the benefits in being part of an online community for this
vertical market. Water Online offers a way for their clients and prospects to
cut through the clutter of the Internet and put their company in a position to
be discovered in an increasingly crowded medium. Check out our clients in the Supplier Marketplace or contact us today for advertising
information.
https://www.wateronline.com/doc/be-your-authentic-self-message-to-women-working-in-water-0001
No comments:
Post a Comment