Sarens Women

NEVER BE SO POLITE, YOU FORGET YOUR POWER

I jumped into this industry almost by accident–a factor of which jobs were available when I graduated–and thankfully found something that really suited me. I had quite a steep learning curve, but this helped mould me into what I believe is a neat mix of hands-on engineer and project manager.

It was eight years before I truly connected with the fact that there was a gender gap. In my bubble, I was paid the same as my male colleagues, was assigned challenging projects, and could grow and learn just as they did.

I never really focused on the point that I could even be benefiting from being female. For example, I was invited to corporate functions by clients and directors more often than my male colleagues were. It could have been because I was in the right place at the right time, or simply because I looked better in a dress. But the result was that I had unique opportunities to advance my social skills in a unique business setting, building relationships with people I otherwise may not have met.

It was only when I stepped outside of my comfortable bubble that I realised that this was not the norm. During my first long-term international posting, I worked as a supervisor on a site in Bulgaria. While there, it became clear that my new colleagues didn’t share the belief that I could possibly have the appropriate technical and operational knowledge for my position. I don’t know whether that was because of my gender, my age, or simply because I was a new face. However, it was telling that my female colleagues didn’t believe that they, or any other woman, could hold a senior technical or management role.

While I take very little note of those who don’t believe in me, I was struck by the lack of self-belief my female colleagues had in themselves. It was not that they lacked self-confidence in any way, but that they believed senior technical or management roles were reserved solely for men. I was astounded, to say the least, because I had personally stepped down from a management position and taken on an operational role to get out of my comfort zone–and because I had that choice. I was disheartened to see that these strong women felt they didn’t have the choice. Naively, I put this down to working in an ex-Soviet country and not understanding the culture.

My next stop was Belgium–obviously not an ex-Soviet country–and yet I encountered some of the same attitudes. I was saddened when, just prior to my arrival, I was asked, “Why don’t you just stay home and have children?” (To which I obviously joked, “Because I worked with trailer operators, so I have enough kids!”) But even more disheartening, women in my own industry laughed when I told them that I was a project manager and a barge master. That these attitudes were so prevalent in the heart of the EU surprised and saddened me. In the space of those two brief interactions, I had gotten the clear message that a woman’s place was not on-site.

But I disagree. So now, here I am halfway across the world in Taiwan, managing a really cool project for Sarens. We’re using a combination of SPMTs and jacking systems for the roll-on/off of OWF jackets, as well as 550-1.350-tonne cranes for installation and load-out. Our deadlines are tight, we are running 30 personnel 24 hours a day and 7 days a week, and we have ever-changing schedules to contend with.

Since arriving on-site, we have replaced a high-cost, toxic-spirited team with a much more balanced mix of skills, reducing costs while fostering a great team spirit. Considering the mix of nationalities and the current Covid-19 restrictions, this has been challenging but necessary. We rely on a stable, motivated team to keep up with our client’s demanding schedule, and we’ve seen a positive turnaround in client relationships, operational flexibility, and safety since we made these changes.

Today, I’m catching up on emails, invoicing, and planning rotations. Yesterday, I was roro supervisor for the load-in of an 1.800-tonne jacket, and the day before I helped get the jacking system back online after a failure. I also led the shore team for the load-out of pin piles with an LR11350. I say all this because while I have no doubt that my male colleagues are capable of the same, it should never be assumed that a woman isn’t. I’m here doing it day in and day out, and other women can, too.

Finally, anyone who knows me knows my love of Taylor Swift, so in closing I’ll quote her: “Never be so polite, you forget your power. Never wield such power, you forget to be polite.”