Women In Operations

Last week I had the privilege of attending the Young Women in Energy (YWE) dinner and talk about Women in Operations. This was an excellent event held during Calgary's Global Energy Show. The panelists were fantastic and their stories, advice, and experience were inspiring. It got me thinking about my own operations experience in the energy industry and how impactful it was in my career and leadership.

Operations form the backbone of an organization. I'm so glad that I got my operations and field experience early in my career. It allowed me to understand the processes, the people, and it set the foundation for "how things worked". As I grew in my career, I continually relied on my time in operations to speak the language, to understand how the money was made, and how to solve complex problems in environments with lots of moving parts and amongst a variety of personalities.

Stereo-typically, operations roles (especially in the energy industry) have been for men. But representation matters. As I held leadership roles in operations, I know it inspired other women to pursue similar opportunities. As more women enter into operations and excel, we pave the way for future generations and dispel myths about gender based limitations. I would encourage you to look for opportunities to get out into the field, try an operations role in your organization, and/or put your hand up for that assignment you think you can't do as a female.

You'll find you bring unique perspectives to problem solving and creating innovative solutions. You'll build relationships built on shared goals. You'll collaborate and communicate with teams deeper within the organization. You'll learn to navigate complex organizational structures and priorities. All of which, will boost your leadership and experiences.