Collaborating to problem solve

AFTRS, People & Decisions, QANTAS

Problem Solving Gender Equity Through Collaboration and Learning from Others

When Patrick Sharry joined the AIS Women in High Performance Coaching Project as a consultant, he encouraged the team to look outside high performance sport as a way to learn from other industries facing similar challenges.

“If you look at what’s happening in the high performance sports space, it’s remarkably similar to what happens to women wanting to get into the captain’s seat on a Qantas flight. It’s remarkably similar to women wanting to take senior roles in cinematography,” Sharry explained.

Sharry connected Michelle De Highden, AIS HP Coach Development Senior Lead, to various other industries who are tackling gender equity, including Jen Kolar, National People Manager at Qantas and Nell Greenwood, CEO of the Australian Film Television and Radio School [AFTRS]. De Highden, Kolar, Greenwood and many others from outside the sporting domain came together in what Sharry calls “Outsiders Workshops” to share insights and learnings and find a pathway forward.

“He [Sharry] was working with us on our strategy and he’s like, ‘Wow, the more I’m talking to you, I keep thinking there’s this fantastic parallel activity happening in high performance women coaching.” Greenwood said. “You should really connect in that spirit of knowledge exchange and how much there is to learn from something which is the same, but different.”

Kolar was initially surprised at the shared similarities between sport and the corporate world. “We’ve used a lot of guest speakers that come in from the NRL [National Rugby League],” she said. “And when they talk about how they build their teams and team cultures, it’s no different.”

“You always think that there’s differences but there’s so much to learn from the sporting field in terms of what they do to develop solid teams and performance,” Kolar explained.

Shared Mythologies 

Part of tackling the underrepresentation of women in high performance coaching involves breaking down shared mythologies in sport.

“One would be if you’re coaching at high performance level, it has to be twenty-four seven. There is no possibility of a job share. You can’t do it part time if you stop to have a family,” Sharry said of the mythologies present in sport.

Sharry believes shared models and examples of success are key to breaking down these mythologies. Part of this involves stories and models shared between sports. “Here’s four models that work in different sports. Find the one that works for you, and you could make this happen,” he explained.

But there is also value in sharing stories across industries, to break down these mythologies. “Law firms have been on that journey for a long time. And one of the things that they’ve had to grapple with is a mythology that as a partner, it’s got to be twenty-four-seven and there’s no possibility of part time.”

Sharry recently ran a two-day workshop with a global law firm with senior associates who are on track to partnership. Sharry has been running these workshops for nearly a decade and for the first time, there were more women in the program than men.

This particular law firm have been one of several Sharry has seen pull apart the mythology that part time arrangements aren’t possible.  Collaboration and shared insights between different industries allow for the sharing of success stories like this.

“When I ran those Outsiders Workshops, one of the people that I invited along was someone I know who’s been instrumental in that law firm. Not because you can take what the law firm did and just cookie cutter it. But you can learn from the analogy, take lessons,” Sharry said.

Greenwood agrees that collaboration, through workshops like this, offers clear benefits and a path forward. “You have a different sort of eagle eye perspective, being able to see how all the challenges and the wrangles that you’re having in your industry are playing out in a different industry.”

“There is so much to tap into,” Kolar said. “I think it’s so important to stay connected to different industry experts and people that have worked in different fields to really leverage off learnings, things that have worked and things that have not worked to be able to figure out a way forward.”

Greenwood believes collaboration across industries can also help break down unconscious biases in the industry that contribute to mythologies.

“If you're doing things that are unconscious biases, you're dealing with things where you're actually trying to disrupt your own way of thinking,” Greenwood said.

“Seeing it play out another industry, you think, yes, of course, that's what people are thinking about female coaches,” she said. “And then that extrapolation back to your own industry, you can think, yes, that is happening. It might look very different, but actually, these are some of the issues that are definitely playing out in our industry as well.”

Greenwood understands the impact of these mythologies because she experienced them herself. “I was told stay away from the camera truck. This is when I was an 18 year old intern.”

“That immediately set up a whole pathway for me, which is you’re probably better off not on set, you’re probably better off in the development office.”

As Greenwood says, “The stakes are really high.”

Shared Resources

The collaboration between the AIS, AFTRS and Qantas has already facilitated learnings and sharing of resources that all parties have been able to bring back to their industry.

“I think what’s been fantastic about Michelle’s work is she really seems to have been able to draw together the key stakeholders from the high performance coaching world and sit down and come up with this fantastic plan. And I think that’s where we’ve really learned from,” Greenwood said.

“So it's been tremendously valuable watching that process play out with similar issues and opportunities, but such a clear pathway forward in terms of an action plan.”

“I always use this as an exemplar of a really great action plan,” Greenwood said.

Greenwood has also been able to share valuable insights and resources that have aided the AIS in tackling gender equity. As Sharry says, “Whenever you have that conversation, it’s never one way. It’s always the sharing of ideas that’s so beneficial.”

Greenwood explains that women in cinematography and women in coaching share similar challenges and mythologies, which created an opportunity for shared learning.

“We had lots of conversations where there were real ‘aha’ moments for both of us,” Greenwood said. “And I think for us, the cinematography one was most useful because you were dealing with that idea of all those really weird, buried assumptions around physical strength and physical excellence.”

AFTRS now offers female only classes for cinematographers, to create a safe space for women to learn how to use equipment. Greenwood explained that many women come into the industry questioning “Can I use this heavy equipment and can I do this?”

The female only classes give women “the opportunity to think their way around it, rather than [thinking] ‘I don’t want to embarrass myself because if I drop this case, if I can’t do it, they will go ‘see she can’t do it.’”

Greenwood was able to share this initiative with De Highden and the AIS. “Michelle was really interested in that idea around how you can configure training,” Greenwood said.

Kolar has also been able to share valuable insights with the AIS on training and facilitation.

Sharing the Load and a Pathway Forward

Tackling gender equity requires collaborative action, not just within sport but across industries. Shared insights and challenges highlight a pathway forward.

“I think collaboration is so important because as organisations, we’re all facing similar but different challenges but the more we collaborate and put our minds together, I think it will benefit organisations long term,” Kolar said.

Greenwood explains that collaborative action also provides much-needed encouragement and helps lighten the load.

“One of the things which has been great about it is that sense of energy and hope that this is worth it.”

“We all know we need to keep working in this area,” Greenwood said. “You can see the injustice and you can see the impact.”

“Sometimes it can seem insurmountable but if you’re thinking, let’s just share it, you’re sharing the load,” Greenwood said.

As Greenwood explains, through collaboration and breaking down biases together, “You can see pathways forward.”