Jess is a chartered mechanical engineer working for an engineering company which produces manufacturing machinery. After promotion she found herself the manager of a group of six men. Although better qualified than the men in her group, she was younger than some. She had had a good working relationship with them as colleagues but she realised that they resented her as a boss.
She overheard numerous negative remarks about her managerial abilities. 'I lost my confidence and I think everyone knew it. It made matters tricky,' she said. Morale was low in the group and she did not know how to tackle the situation. She went to her manager to discuss the problem but he told her that she needed to resolve the situation herself as she would lose authority if he intervened. He sent her on a managerial training course but it did not help her confidence. Stressed and despondent, Jess applied to MentorSET which she had heard about through WES.
MentorSET found Jess an engineer mentor who had had a managerial position for many years. While her mentor had never had to cope with such overt criticism and rejection from her subordinates, she understood Jess's position. 'The meeting with my mentor was a massive, instant breakthrough,' recalls Jess. 'I realised that my problems were due to the preconceptions of society and not due to any deficiencies with me as an individual or manager. Many women had experienced such dilemmas but had also overcome and succeeded; an incredible confidence boost. My mentor imparted hot tips regarding team building and morale. I went away from the meeting feeling animated and eager to rectify the situation - I was ready for the challenge! '
Jess put her new confidence into action the very next day by using wit to rebuff a negative remark. In the next months Jess proved herself as a manager, gained their respect and they became a united team.
Jess only met her mentor once and exchanged several telephone calls. 'That is all I needed, I was sorted,' says Jess, 'but I am not sure I would have done it without that boost. While there is still the occasional remark behind my back, I can handle it. Unfortunately, you need to prove yourself at each step as a woman engineer but I have done that for the present. I also know where to find my mentor, if I was to need additional support and that is incredibly reassuring. It is challenging being a manager of a group of now seven opinionated male engineers but I wouldn't want a different career.'