Nina Wright on how to be a brilliant boss and mum, making the most of your mentors, and transforming yourself into a networking and presenting ace.
In the most recent addition to our popular everywomanClub Voices Of Experience series, Managing Director of UBM Live Built Environment,
Nina Wright, shares a wealth of invaluable advice garnered from her years as a senior female ambassador and media and
live events specialist.
View the clips below for Nina’s priceless advice on career mapping, networking, presenting and pitching like a pro – plus having difficult conversations, successfully managing your emotions and why bad bosses are great for your career.
On dropping the guilt
That nagging sense of doubt that tells you you’re not doing enough for the family at home but not doing enough in the office either is a feeling that accompanies many working mums – but Nina says the greatest piece of advice she’s ever
received is to stop feeling guilty, right now! Having successfully balanced a stellar career with being a great mum, she says, “It’s something I’ve got better at over the years and something I’ve worked really hard at… And I’ve learnt
that actually you can do both.” She shares her secrets in this video.
On the importance of mentors at work
Mentors are an invaluable when it comes to developing your confidence and skills in the workplace. And as Nina explains in this clip, calling on the expertise of her mentors helped her during one of the most challenging periods of her
career. “Mentors help you know yourself better and once you know what your strengths and weaknesses are you can start to work on yourself.”
On conducting tough conversations with sensitivity
In this short clip, Nina explains how it’s possible to enter into tough negotiations and even announce bad news with sensitivity and humanity. “Treating others how you want to be treated is really important.”
For more on this subject, you can check out our Giving and Receiving Feedback workbook (log in required).
On how to deliver a brilliant presentation
Having to do a presentation can turn even the most naturally confident into a quivering wreck – unfortunately, there’s no getting away from them. As Nina puts it, “At some point in your career you’re going to be expected to present, be
to that your team, an internal presentation or externally at a conference.” Watch this video for Nina’s killer tips on nailing presentations every time. Being left red-faced and lost for words in front of an expectant audience might
just become a thing of the past for you – and it has nothing to with graphs and slides!
For more advice on presentations, see our Giving Great Presentations workbook.
On developing a career plan
“As I became more experienced and more aware of the need to really manage my career, I developed a plan. You can evolve it, you can rip it up and start again but having a career plan at the beginning is something that would stand anyone
in good stead.” In this video, Nina talks through devising the ultimate career plan and tips that will give your CV the edge over the competition.
Check out our workbook Knowing Your Strengths.
On why women need to stop ‘doing’ and start networking
Nina suggests that women are natural “doers”, while men are more natural “networkers”. To be truly successful in business, however, we need to be a seamless mix of both. In this video, Nina talks about the triggers that saw her move
away from “slogging away” at her desk to getting out there and making killer connections like so many of her male colleagues. “Networking is as just as much of your career development as being good at your job is.”
You can also check out our workbook, An Introduction to Building Strong Networks.
On overcoming limiting beliefs
We all know that we’re doing ourselves a disservice by listening to the niggling voices in our head telling us we’re out of our depth/ don’t have enough experience etc – but extracting ourselves from an adverse mindset is often easier
said than done. Here, Nina, who admits to experiencing “moments of little crisis of confidence” herself, offers tips on turning negative voices into positive ones. “A brave move but a hugely valuable one is to actively commission some
360 feedback.”
Also see our Smashing Limiting Beliefs workbook.
On raising your profile
You know you have valuable skills and do a great job for your company but do others? In this short video clip, Nina talks about how you can raise your profile and begin to play a full and active part in your company – while having fun
along the way. “Share your thoughts, share your experiences, tell your stories,” she advises.
On managing your emotions at work
Knowing when to show emotion with your reports and peers and when to hold it back is a “part and parcel of being a leader” and is a hard-worn skill – but one that can be practiced. “You have to know when it’s good to share what the
challenges are and there are other times when it’s just not because people are feeling stressed already,” says Nina. In this clip, Nina describes one of the biggest challenges she’s ever faced at UBM.
Check out our Developing Leadership Behaviours workbook.
On how bad bosses can make you a great boss
“I’ve been really lucky that I’ve had a a number of people who’ve been really influential and when I look back that’s been my bosses – good and bad,” says Nina. She’s not alone – we’ve all had bosses who drive us up the wall (maybe you
have one now), but, as she explains here, flipping the situation on its head can be a brilliant learning experience.
On how to pull off the perfect business pitch – anywhere!
Networking is not just about taking ourselves off to a conference and sparking up a conversation with the nearest stranger – we can network just as prolifically in non-formal surroundings. “If you’re in the lift (at work) and your chief
executive gets in and you have 20 seconds in the lift with him, how are you going to use that 20 seconds?” asks Nina. Find out how she does it in this clip.
See Nina’s full-length video where she discusses more of these topics in detail in her everywomanClub Voices Of Experience edition.
