Here, we look at the lived experiences of successful women and the secret to how they balance it all. Spoiler alert: they don’t do it alone.
Women continue to make strides in the workplace, representing more board seats and C-suite positions, but it’s important to note that they are not getting there alone. For every woman climbing the professional ladder, there is a support system helping hold it down.
Women continue to carry the load of unpaid work, like childcare, cooking and cleaning, and it’s difficult to balance home and work-life responsibilities, let alone executive or C-suite tasks. According to Statistics Canada, the inclusion of women in leadership roles leads to better results and economic benefits, but the professional challenges women face are much greater when they do it alone — a support system is critical to helping women advance professionally. In fact, choosing your spouse can be one of the most important business decisions.
When someone helps carry the responsibilities of unpaid work, like a non-birthing parent taking parental leave or friends helping with after-school pick-up, women can turn more energy toward their professional leadership responsibilities. Ensuring you surround yourself with the right people — whether they be mentors, friends or family — can influence your success at work by alleviating some of the barriers women face in career advancement.
Here, three Calgary Influential Women in Business award winners share how their unique support systems have been integral to their successful careers.
Jennifer Massig is the CEO of MAGNA Engineering services. She’s also a single mom. Massig says there’s no way she could have accomplished what she has done without the support of friends, co-workers and mentors.
“This strong foundation of incredible people includes my amazing friends who are raising families at the same time as me and were always available to watch my toddlers and elementary-aged kids when I had an important meeting or appointment. But also the incredible group of women that I work with who always provided support when I had to balance sick kids and a full-time job. They checked on me when I was looking overwhelmed and offered to do school drop-off and pick-up when I was tied up at work.”
“Lastly, I have always had a strong group of mentors. When I say mentors, I mean those who are blazing the trail ahead of me, those who are in the mire with me and we can connect on our shared experience, and also those coming along behind me, who I am honoured to share my experiences with.”
For Shelley Powell, the key to juggling her responsibilities is accepting help. Plus, the Senior Vice President of Operational Improvement Support Services at Suncor Energy says it’s more fun to do it together anyways.
“I certainly would not have been successful without a strong support system around me, but that started with the willingness to accept the support being offered. My partner has always been my biggest cheerleader, but he also did more than his share of driving to hockey practice, taking the dog for a walk and cooking dinner — all of the things that can seem overwhelming at the end of the day.”
“It has also been critical for my own mental well-being to find a group of trusted friends. A group where I am just Shelley and not an executive title. Life has a tendency to just slow down, and things come into perspective when you are with a group of friends that you trust completely.”
This years Lifetime Achievement Award winner, Hilary Foulkes, said she hasn’t always been the best example of managing her hectic work life with support systems, and she paid the price having needed to take a few years as a consequence of neglecting a health issue.
“It was the earlier part of my career, with little control over my schedule and limited financial means, and a workplace with no accommodation, that was the most challenging. For a period, we hired a daytime nanny, which provided relief, but after becoming a single mom, I thought I couldn’t justify the costs.
“My recommendation is: Do not be a hero. Ditch the guilt. Pick a good partner. Pay for whatever you can off-load, and if earlier in your career, look at it as an investment and not a cost.”
“Good stay-at-home mom friends always gave me first ‘dibs’ on volunteer slots, and I was a competitive squash player, so my self-care and socialization could be done in 45-minute slices! I am happy to say all three of my daughters have learned how not to do it!”