As International Women’s Day approaches, Angela Norman, interim managing director for YBS Commercial Mortgages, discusses the ingredients for success, self-belief, and how women can support each other in the workplace.
There’s no doubt that, despite all the progress made, there are still significant challenges for women looking to get ahead or climb the career ladder in today’s world.
Historically, these have included a lack of access to mentors and networks to provide support, and difficulty in finding safe spaces to share best practice and personal experiences. There has also been a lack of visibility of female role models in senior positions to show that it is possible to progress – in particular, in male-dominated areas. While these things have certainly improved in recent years, we’re not yet where we’d like to be.
There’s now better awareness and visibility of the barriers facing women looking to progress or set up in business. However, change is not happening in all areas as quickly as it needs to.
The business world would benefit hugely from greater equity. Statistics over recent years have shown that organisations are more profitable if they have diverse leadership teams.
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A better balance for women in senior positions
In the commercial market, women have been underrepresented in senior roles. However, this is changing, and it’s great to see more women taking up senior positions across the industry.
But there’s more to do to get a better balance, and I believe that women, particularly those in more senior roles, have a part to play by sharing their own stories about how they have navigated their career paths, overcome the challenges they have faced and maintained their self-belief.
My career evolved organically over time, driven by a need to make a difference and to support people – whether they are colleagues or customers. This has always been the purpose that propelled me forward. Having fewer women in my field, especially early on in my career, was an even bigger incentive.
Driven by adversity
I’ve faced moments of self-doubt – including ruminating and overthinking – for example, about something that hasn’t gone according to plan – which could act as significant career blockers. I have learned to recognise the warning signs and to focus on the facts and the action I can take to resolve, as I gained in experience.
Key to this has been having the confidence that I’ve got where I am through hard work and dedication, but there are a number of other ingredients too.
Ensuring the right balance between personal life and professional demands has always been essential to me. This has meant putting in clear boundaries to prevent lines becoming blurred. For example, for me, this involves having a set day where I take the kids to school and pick them up, no matter what else is happening in my professional life.
I believe boundary setting is also essential to protect mental health and avoid burnout, as well as ensuring clear stakeholder management and expectations. Prioritising time off and breaks from work is also vital.
I’ve learned some very important lessons during my career, including not becoming distracted from your own path by what others think and feel, being clear on what you believe, and staying true to who you are. For me, success both at work and at home means giving everything you can in the moment and striving to make a difference at every turn.
Creating an environment for growth and change
However, as much as individuals can create a mindset for success – it’s certainly not the full picture – there’s no doubt that career development requires outside support.
The role of mentors and networks is so important – I personally have had some very strong female mentors who have inspired and influenced me along the way. In a previous role, this included an internal sponsorship from a female board member, who helped me into a position with much more responsibility – a big step-up – which paved the way for my future success.
Another example included a job share with a female colleague who had a very different skill set to my own, which taught me that being able to work flexibly with the knowledge that someone else had your back made all the difference. This is why it’s so crucial that women in senior positions act as role models, supporting and guiding more junior colleagues and encouraging them to take the next step, and why women at all levels must support each other in the workplace.
At YBS Commercial Mortgages, diversity is something we proactively encourage across the team, and it’s high on my own personal agenda to ensure we achieve the right balance of varied thinking. This will help us to best reflect the needs of our customer base as we move forward into the future.
But as a society, we all know there is more work to do in this space. Wider questions around gender diversity cannot be solved overnight or by one person, but I do believe that the right approach can go a long way towards breaking down some of those barriers, especially when the right level of support can be found.
