Trust is at the heart of everything
Nearly four years after arriving on a fixed-term contract I’m still here and still enjoying the variety that working at the North Sea Transition Authority offers.
At the time I arrived I was glad that I was on a fixed-term contract because I had been at my previous company for 14 years and was keen to take some time to consider what I wanted to do longer term. Also, although the early signs were good, I wasn’t sure what the culture would be like and I wanted to test it out for a while before making a commitment – assuming, of course, that they liked me, and staying on was even a possibility!
It just so happened that I arrived only a few weeks before the pandemic sent everyone home, which meant that my role temporarily changed overnight to focus primarily on wellbeing and engagement - and the really great thing was that, in a situation where everyone was struggling to work out what the future held, I was immediately trusted to follow my instincts about what I could do to help, and then trusted to get on with it.
Being able to help people and make a positive difference in their lives is what drives me, and the North Sea Transition Authority has a culture of inclusivity that really supports people. I have benefited from it myself and am privileged to have a role that helps to keep it alive.
I am given the chance to be creative in all I do, to identify a possibility, talk it over with colleagues, and then put it into action. I am encouraged to offer my point of view, I am properly listened-to and the culture of the NSTA means that everyone enjoys that same respect.
In the time I have been here the organisation has changed and my job has changed as well. A large part of my role now is leadership training - which I love - and this really allows me to think creatively about how to get the best out of people – a role which I take very seriously.
But underpinning everything is trust. If you haven’t got mutual trust, there is no point in turning up. And we do have it and it’s why I enjoy working at the NSTA.