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Pregnant and promoted

Recently promoted Associate Director in the Heritage and Townscape team, Kerrie Melrose gives a personal account of her thoughts on career progression whilst expanding her family.

This time last year I certainly wouldn’t have put the words pregnant and promoted together. January is traditionally the time of year for looking forward and, in 2019, I found myself contemplating whether to progress my career, or to expand my family. There was little thought towards the possibility of doing both.

We cannot help but be shaped by our past and decades of media and societal influence. Perceptions of success and what we can, or should, seek to achieve can be engrained as much in our own subconscious as in the companies and industries in which we work. As well as pursuing wider culture change, we need to recognise and challenge our own false perceptions and expectations which can act as barriers to our careers and happiness.

The glossy magazines I read in my 20s featured articles on glamorous female executives who, as well as having families and successful careers, found time in their schedules for 6am workouts and lunchtime manicures - something I failed to achieve pre-children let alone as a mother. This unobtainable and unachievable image of ‘success’ was firmly planted in my mind. And as for promotion, surely that could only be achieved by working late nights and weekends to prove my worth?

With these deep rooted assumptions, it is no wonder I feared that pursuing promotion would be at the expense of my family life and wellbeing. However there were a number of factors and influences which changed my perspective and led me to recently be promoted whilst pregnant with my second child.

In March, I attended an event arranged by Women in Planning (Yorkshire) for International Women’s Day titled ‘Advice for my Younger Self’. Listening to the different paths women had taken began to open my eyes to the realisation that ‘success’ can take many forms.

I’ve worked for Turley since 2014 and during this time the company has undergone something of a cultural shift in recent years as well as investing in learning and development. This people-focus aligns with our employee-ownership status and I believe we are starting to see the fruits of this change in our thinking and approach. Enhanced line management and mentoring programmes have allowed me to have open and frank conversations with co-owners framed by an appreciation of the importance of physical and mental wellbeing. I was reassured that Turley see gender neutrality as a priority and were taking steps to provide the support for all to achieve their full potential.

Through our leadership training programme I realised that ‘energy not time is our most precious resource.’ Accordingly success is not determined by how long I spend at my desk but the effectiveness of my work and thinking. I’ve been working with my line manager to identify more efficient ways of working; utilising the flexibility offered by Turley to achieve the best for my clients without burning out and identifying ways in which I can contribute to the company that utilise my strengths and fit with my working patterns. My path to promotion has not been characterised by high stress and long hours but by a change in mind set; recognising my own value and challenging my existing perceptions of success and motherhood.

For anyone considering their own path in 2020 and potentially discounting options or opportunities, I would encourage them to carefully consider what limitations they are placing on themselves and why. Life is too short to have regrets and there are companies and individuals out there who want to support you to meet your goals and overcome barriers; be they real or perceived.

For more information on Turley’s commitment to inclusion and diversity please contact Chrysta Poppitt.

17 January 2020