3 minute read
Lessons from the AWSN Leader Forums
MEGAN KOUFOS
By Megan Koufos, Program Manager at AWSN
The Australian Women in Security Network (AWSN) recently held its first two Leader Forum roundtables as part of its Women in Security leadership initiative, proudly supported by the Australian Signals Directorate (ASD).
The aim of the AWSN Leader Forums is to provide a space for women to come together, connect, discuss, collaborate and learn. They provide a platform for women in the Women in Leadership programs to discuss common issues, share ideas, ask questions and be inspired.
Each forum begins with a presentation from a guest speaker. This is followed by several small group discussions, held simultaneously. Participants are free to join their topic of choice. All small group participants then come together to share what they have learnt.
The topics that garnered most discussion is the last two forum sessions were:
• What strategies/initiatives would you like to see to increase diversity in security leadership roles? • What practices/ideas/solutions could be implemented at a personal/organisational/
societal level to better support mental health and manage burnout in our industry? • How do you maintain work/life balance?
This is a key question for our industry, and one faced by many organisations. The answer is: focus on what is working, where successful strategies are being implemented and then amplify those ideas and solutions across the industry.
Some of the key ideas and solutions tabled at the forum included:
• Training the workforce and employers on how to embed a focus on diversity into organisation culture. • Changing the mindset of interviewers who unconsciously have different expectations and apply different competency and experience criteria when hiring someone different from themselves. They should apply the same criteria to all applicants, regardless of gender, background or appearance. • The McKinsey & Company Lean in Report was discussed. It showed (page 8) that
the percentage of women coming through the corporate pipeline is increasing but the representation of women decreases as seniority increases. • There needs to be more support for women supporting women, and more mentoring opportunities. • There needs to be more opportunities to show role models from diverse backgrounds in different security roles. (“You cannot be what you cannot see.”) • Companies need to believe that diversity is important and to really work on tangible solutions to increase diversity.
WHAT ABOUT MAINTAINING WORK/LIFE BALANCE?
As they move up to more senior roles in leadership many women look to their more senior executives for role guidance. How their managers work (or never stop working) has an impact on their own work/ life balance. So, it is important for senior managers to demonstrate an appropriate work/life balance to those beginning their leadership journey.
Some of the more practical activities for achieving work/life balance we discussed included:
• Defining boundaries and seeing our time as important. • Setting time in our calendars for lunch and breaks throughout the day. • Blocking out time for email so it does not become a drain on our time. • Making use of organisation-introduced initiatives such as 10-minute Monday morning meditations.
People tend to take on responsibilities beyond those prescribed for their role, seeing a need to contribute to the organisation. This can be detrimental to their own work/life balance. All participants agreed that, no matter how hard it might be, letting others take responsibility for their roles and responsibilities is paramount for maintaining their own work/life balance. In situations where people are expected to take on other responsibilities, asking for priorities to be assigned to these is key to ensuring they do not burn out or become overwhelmed.
WHAT PRACTICES/IDEAS/SOLUTIONS COULD BE IMPLEMENTED AT A PERSONAL/ ORGANISATIONAL/SOCIETAL LEVEL TO BETTER SUPPORT MENTAL HEALTH AND MANAGE BURNOUT IN OUR INDUSTRY?
• Recognising we are sometimes our own worst enemies when it comes to working overtime, and being unable to say no. • Developing the confidence, and earning the right, to say no. • Work/life balance. • Building a support network. • Owning decisions and not apologising! • Asking for a deadline and for managers to help prioritise work when it becomes overwhelming.
These forums are a great opportunity to meet, share and collaborate with the incredible women leaders in our industry. Future forums will delve deeper into the topics above and will add the following:
• Challenges and tips when returning to the workforce after a career break. • Career planning and career advancement.
To find out more visit awsn.org.au
www.linkedin.com/in/megankoufos
