Project Director at a City Financial Institution, Sarah Boddy talks to us about being a woman in her role and staying motivated no matter what barriers she is faced with.
I am currently a Project Director at a City Financial Institution and have a two-year contract delivering workplace and change to city high flyers. Before I set up Boddy Associates 16 years ago I was working as an associate director in a very large swanky London architects’ practice. I left this role because I knew that I could deliver a better product to the client that was better tailored, better priced and with a high level of personal service. It was a big risk!
A typical day for me usually starts at 5 am with a rude awakening, the 06.33 train from Grantham to London, a 10-minute walk through one of the most inspiring cities in the world, past St Paul’s Cathedral and into my office. Depending on the stage of the project, I will hold an all-hands briefing which is planning what the day will hold. What the deadlines are, identifying the resources and weighing up the good and bad. I make sure to catch up with my team individually as well as connecting with them personally makes the team stronger. I’ll then go to the site and discuss the week’s requirements against the programme with the construction team. The rest if the day is really about managing, from finance to noise issues to planning regulations and networking, a great tip from me is to never forget to keep your network in place!
If I could speak to my 16-year-old self now I would say stop stressing over the small stuff, you are beautiful, follow your dreams and you don’t need anyone else to make you feel good-do it for yourself. And for other girls who are early in their careers I would say be confident, but not arrogant, look for role models and see what they do in different situations such as how they cope under pressure and how they manage a team, I think you can be inspired from a range of people but the best thing to do is cherry-pick- don’t try to be like a single person, be yourself but get the best traits from those that give you courage. And finally, dress for your next promotion!
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