NEWS EXTRA
YOUNG SPEAKER LEAVES DELEGATES STANDING
Last year’s BMF Young Achiever, Sarah Daniel got a standing ovation with her impassioned plea to the industry to bring the generations together.
Winning the BMF Young Achiever Award last year gave the winner Sarah Daniel a springboard to be exposed to a number of different opportunities, she told delegates at the BMF Members’ Day Conference. “And opportunity, for all sorts of people, no matter what their skill set or experience, is something we have a lot of in this industry,” she said. Growing up with no real direction or idea of what she wanted to do, Daniel msaid she went from working in an industrial laundry to an apprenticeship programme at south-west independent builders merchant chain RGB. “I never dreamed of having the opportunity to do something like this. I am young and female and I want to talk about those people who don’t fit the norm in this strong valued traditional industry.”
Daniel said that she enjoys working in the industry but that there are times when she feels as though she doesn’t really belong. “Being expected to make the teas and coffees for a male group, being called sweetie, honey or even stupid and treated like I am not in nor should I aspire to be in a leadership role. These subtle comments, which come from both men and women, need to be addressed.” She also pointed out that some women encourage that sort of attitude in the workplace, adding: “If we let these things go, we will just be perpetuating these views.
“At the same time we cannot be offended by every single comment made and in most cases they are not meant with bad intentions. Banter and human interaction is one of the qualities the industry prides itself on but we mustn’t fall behind the modern age. More people should be mindful of the individual they are talking to. I believe you do not have to act like a man to fit in to this industry and you do not have to appear less feminine, but we should not respond as yes women and we should aspire to break down these barriers.” Daniel said that there are already plenty of people actively doing things to change these stereotypes, such as the women’s round-table and huge progress having been made in youth recruitment.
“As an industry, we know our weaknesses and we are clearly targeting those and aiming to improve, but we still have a long way to
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go. We can have individuals who form groups in this industry and discuss and come up with ideas and make really positive changes and that is fantastic but we all need to go even further and we all need to buy into it and act on it every day.
“In this industry we have our fair share of people who are creatures of habit and not always the most open minded. However young people, women, aspiring people, people who don’t fit the norm or confirm to it can add another dimension to the industry, and we are missing them at every stage of this industry.”
Daniel said that she has heard the younger generations being referred to as entitled, self-interested, unfocussed, lazy and anti- social. “We’re told we are losing traditions we’re not having enough kids, destroying the system, destroying relationships, destroying the housing market. We have destroyed everything it seems: barely getting fulltime jobs before being blamed for not having a good work ethic and creating different jobs than others had access to.
“We live in a world that is forever changing. They say we don’t speak up enough but when we do they don’t like what we have to do. Apparently we don’t understand the industry,
yet we are criticized for the one we are trying to create. But what we need to say to those younger people is that if you feel put down, then stand up. If you feel limited then be limitless. And remember that a great man or woman doesn’t fit in because they stand out.” She pointed out that everyone in the industry can be a role model to someone else, whether that is because of their attitude, progression, experience, knowledge, how professional you are or how you communicate or even their levels of positivity. “Occasionally we meet someone with no ulterior motive, and they will take great pleasure in helping you and they won’t expect recognition for it. Those who really support us are the ones we remember. If we treat all people with respect and equally then we can learn something from everyone. I have been lucky in having a career mentor right from when I started as an apprentice through to know, a person - our HR director Jenny Naylor - who saw more in me than a terrified young girl who sat in the interview having nothing, so she believed, to offer this industry. So think about who you could mentor, whose life you could change.
“We are moving forward into this new era, where knowledge, values and competition are all changing it is our job to keep up. We working in this incredible industry where we can all take advantage of a huge range of diverse opportunities. The greatest need is for us to work together I emphasise the word together because if we can build an industry that is based not on our differences but on what connects us not only within the BMF but within our own businesses and out own teams then it will be better than any vision that we can have alone.”
“ We can then create an industry that is based on support, courage and character. Like the instruments in an orchestra, we can play our own tunes and have our own voices, but play together and lean on each other’s strengths, complementing each other with no one voice drowning out the other and we can spread the message further. Like the orchestra, we will be able to play well despite occasionally having a lousy conductor. We all have a part to play.” BMJ
www.buildersmerchantsjournal.net October 2019
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