It was a day that will stay with me for a very long time. The message I posted on twitter that afternoon was short and simple, but I think it managed to capture exactly what everyone in the room was thinking. It was re-tweeted a number of times within minutes. It read simply this; “I have a lot of new heroes today. Feel very humble and very inspired”.
On Wednesday 14th November 2012, I attended the “Lets Inspire” conference hosted by the Women In FM (WIFM) special Interest Group. It was a day which promised much and delivered more. This blog is not a report about the conference as such – that is something which others have already done far better than I ever could (I’ve included some links at the end of the post), but the conference did inspire me and this blog post is my way of sharing some of that experience with those who were unable to get a place. I like to think of it as paying it forward.
At least I didn’t have to shave my legs to get in
So let me address the obvious question first - how did I, a man, get to be at the WIFM conference?
Understandably, it was something I got asked quite a lot on the day. The somewhat casual anecdote “by the time the message came through that skirts were optional, I’d already finished shaving one leg.........” did get a few laughs, but the truth is much simpler: Whilst the members of WIFM are predominantly women, the group is really about promoting the FM industry and supporting diversity and inclusion within it; the fact that I’m a white male is not actually held against me........ that said, there is something of a running joke about the early days of FM which seem to have been populated almost entirely by hairy engineers called Geoff......... but I digress.
A far more interesting question is why did I, a man, want to be at the WIFM conference? Well I’ll admit that the fantastic line-up was part of the draw. It was great opportunity to hear from some wonderful speakers and to learn some fantastic new skills, but actually, it’s those WIFMs themselves that really draw me in.
It’s a fact that the FM industry is predominantly male, but ask anyone who the most influential people in the industry are and they’ll probably reel off the names of more women than men. Some people might say it’s because they stand out more, but I personally believe it’s because they do more to promote and support the industry than many of their male counterparts. In an industry where promoting your cause and championing what you do is an essential skill, they’ve had to be best in the face of adversity, discrimination and sometimes outright hostility. Throughout the morning and early afternoon, speaker after speaker got up on stage and reminded me why, when I go looking for FM role models, I so often find women.
The speakers on the day provided plenty of the inspiration that was promised. A whole host of personal stories as well ideas and discussions on motivation, engagement, communication, inclusivity, confidence, coaching, etc, etc, left me feeling like the owner of a brand new toolkit and a bunch of fresh ideas. I was inspired, but the best was still to come.
What makes a hero?
As the afternoon wore on, two particular women took to the stage and made a roomful of people re-evaluate their lives.
The first of these women was Diana Man, who lost both legs and the fingers of her right hand to meningococcal septicaemia five years ago. I won’t describe her story in detail as there is really no way I can do it justice.
The second woman was Ismena Clout, who having been treated for breast cancer in 2004 was diagnosed with secondary breast cancer in 2010. Again, Ismena’s story is best told by her.
What I do want to share is that both of these women received a standing ovation. It was partly for their courage, partly for their strength and partly for their amazing positivity in the face of adversity, but it wasn't just that. The thing that really inspired me was the amazing way both women took their experiences and made a conscious decision that it wasn’t going to stop them from following their dreams, aiming higher, and achieving more. Their incredible success is testament to just how well they’ve done that, with Diana becoming a presenter at the Paralympics (and currently training for the Paralympics dressage in 2016) and Ismena becoming the Chairman of the BIFM .
The word hero can be used a little too freely sometimes, but for both these women it’s entirely appropriate. Their outright refusal to settle with simply staying positive, when they could be aiming higher had me looking in the metaphorical mirror and asking myself “so what’s your excuse?”
More about the conference
For more info about the Women In FM “Let’s Inspire” conference, I recommend you take a look at the Cathy Hayward's and Martin Read’s blog posts below.
Inspired thought at the WIFM conference Cathy Hayward - Magenta Associates
Inspiration Stations Martin Read - FM World
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