Events and Exhibitions
MALA NAIR ’ S VIEWS AND ADVICE Rampal invited , Mala Nair – GEA Africa service director forward to address the attendees . Nair self-admittedly stated that empowering women is one of her favourite topics and that she regularly catches fellow employees in the corridor and offers mentorship . She briefly shared her journey in ‘ earning her stripes ’ and offered more information about herself as a person before giving the ladies a few pointers that she noted are things that regularly occur in the workplace or where she has experienced challenges herself .
“ The first question I always ask is : what is it to be an empowered woman ?” she said . “ The answer for me is that it ' s really up to each individual . You ' re in the driving seat , you decide what you want , and empower yourself . One of the pieces of advice I would like to share , and something that was also my struggle , is allowing yourself to be vulnerable , to be authentic and show your integrity . Too often we strive to be perfect . No one ' s perfect ( bubble burst ladies ). We are also our own worst critics . We have to realise we can make mistakes , but the most important thing to take out is that you have to learn from those mistakes .
“ Another very important aspect of empowerment is purpose . No one ' s going to tell you what your purpose is , you have to figure that out for yourself . This is your journey and there are many tools at your disposal to help you in this regard – the easiest one is the internet , which has a world of information . When you find your purpose , you have to live it day-to-day , and you will find happiness as you progress towards your goal . This can be anything from being the best technician , to the best manager .
“ The next point of advice is resilience . Achieving any goal takes hard work and you have to work hard to be the best version of yourself and become resilient – while resilience in the workplace is not always easy . People are going to come at you , you are going to get criticised , you are going to face tough times , but you have to be tough . Tough also does not mean that you have to be aggressive , which is easily muddled with assertiveness . When you voice your opinion , do it with the best intention of respect but never be afraid to talk .
“ Professionalism is next . Being professional and looking professional is part of this . It is also one of the particular flaws I have seen in women over my career and is one element we have to be particularly careful around . It is very disappointing when I see females portray a kind of provocativeness . As women we naturally like to look and feel ‘ sexy ’ and wear clothes that make us feel great , but there is a place for that – and it ’ s not at your place of work or with colleagues .
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RACA Journal I July 2021 www . hvacronline . co . za