As promised in the last post I have asked a few women in the nuclear industry to provide answers to a series of questions in celebration of Women’s History Month. This week I am featuring Colleen Sidford’s “herstory.”

What is your role?
I am the Treasurer for Ontario Power Generation Inc., a large government owed utility that produces about 67% of Ontario's electricity.

How do you handle work-life balance?
I am a firm believer in that you are as balanced as you choose to be. Most people, and particularly women, fill up their days and life to a breaking point and then try to accomplish it all. The usual result is that you end up either not achieving this impossible task list, or you do only a mediocre job of each of the items. We all need to remember that we do have a choice about what we choose to do, and what we choose not to do. The trick is to decide which are the most important things, and do them first. This may change from day to day. Today it may be important to rearrange your work meetings so that you can attend your child's concert. Tomorrow you may need to choose to work late to finish an urgent report. Once you make the decision about what is the most important thing, do it and stop beating yourself up for not being able to do it all. It is unproductive and does not change anything.

What is your advice for overcoming barriers to women's advancement in the workplace?
I am convinced that one of the solutions is to make sure that the people in charge know who you are and what you have to offer. There are many ways to do this and you should employ them all.  For example:
° Volunteer for things that are being promoted or supported by your company. The CEO and other senior management members are likely to be involved and you can demonstrate your energy, zeal, and talent to these individuals in a non-threatening environment.
° Pitch a new idea; how to save money; operate more efficiently, increase engagement, etc. Make sure that you bring something that is relatively thought out and don't give up just because your first idea is not accepted. Keep trying. You will be surprised how often a new concept is accepted since so few employees do this.
° Do your job to the highest possible standard. Whatever you are responsible for, be the absolute best at it. Then make sure that you can do it to this standard for 80% of your available time. Use the remaining 20% of your time to work on your new ideas for improvement, etc. (see above)
° Take on new roles. Seek out new opportunities even those outside your area of expertise. You are smart. You can learn on the job. It is easier for someone to recognize that you are the right person for a position if you help them out by telling them that you are.

Have you had mentors who have helped you in your career? Do you want to mention them by name?
I have had lots of people help me in my career, they just didn't always know that they were doing it. The most consistent encouragement I have received is from my husband.  He always advised me to aim higher and not be content to coast.

Do you mentor others?
I enjoy encouraging others. I am a bit of a fixer and always want to find a solution for a problem. If I know one company is looking to fill a position, I scour my network to find the right person who fits the need. I like to be a go-to person. If someone brings me a problem, I like to believe that I can up with a solution.

What do you think are the attributing factors to your success?
My willingness to take on new challenges.  I am convinced that being open to trying things that on the surface seem a bit scary, makes me braver overall. For example, when I was offered a chance to accept a position working in Europe for a few years, I said yes even though I couldn't even find the country (Belgium) on the map at that point.  I also didn't let a small thing like not knowing how to speak either one of the two official languages deter me from accepting the job. I knew that I was smart enough to figure it out as I went along and I did. Not that it was all easy sailing. It required hard work and asking lots of people for assistance. However, a few years later, I was able to use the special knowledge that I gained in this position to set up my own entrepreneurial business which I ran successfully for 11 years both in Canada, and in Europe.  Take a chance and it will usually work out better than you can possibly imagine.

What advice do you have for young women entering the nuclear industry today?
My message to young women starting today is that the nuclear industry offers the same advantages and opportunities offered by many other disciplines, but you have a better opportunity to shine as the nuclear industry is still hiring less women than men.  This means if you are good at what you do and you make yourself valuable to the organization, you will stand out. There is also still a lack of women role models in the nuclear industry, so it is important to find one or two mentors (will typically be men) who can help you navigate the way to senior roles.

Do you set professional goals and work to plan?
I will admit that I did not set professional goals or a plan. I remained more open to opportunities as they came along and remained flexible. I have taken sideways steps to make sure that I obtained a breadth of experience and did not limit myself to one area of expertise.

What other ways do you fulfill your life i.e., hobbies, volunteer work, etc.? How do these things help you in your career?
I have two great passions outside of my daily work life. I believe in taking care of my body through exercise and following a reasonable healthy diet. This is a selfish action in that I want to avoid being incapacitated through disease and since I enjoy life, I intend to live as long as I can. My genetics are against me as both of my parents died from different cancers, and diabetes and heart disease is prevalent in the family. My second passion is to try and help people who have not had all the advantages that I have had. I have become involved in two not-for-profit organizations; one that supports and provides a safe haven for youth who find themselves living on the street, and another that provides similar services to seniors and new Canadians. Both of these organizations teach me a great deal about compassion and caring, and they are also a fantastic way to network with other professionals and business people, the kind of people who are definitely worth knowing. I have also volunteered my time at work to start a program for women which focuses on leadership development and career advancement. It has grown into a significant program reaching out to all the women in the company and has been recognized as one of the leading gender diversity initiatives in Canada.

Stay tuned for more interesting interviews in celebration of Women's History Month and this year's theme, "Recognizing Canadian Women in Business."