Become a Creator today!Start creating today - Share your story with the world!
Start for free
00:00:00
00:00:01
#117: How a Relocation Opened My Eyes to DEI
393 Plays5 months ago
Monique Parker, senior vice president of EHS at Piedmont Lithium, hesitantly accepted a job early in her career that moved her across the country to Salt Lake City, Utah. Little did she know, that move would open her eyes to a career-defining passion: Diversity, equity, and inclusion. In this episode, Monique chats with Jill about her accidental journey into EHS, starting with her passion for chemical engineering and environmental science. They discuss the importance of building relationships, adapting to different cultures, and the role of DEI in the safety profession. Monique concludes by encouraging women in EHS to be authentic, confident, and find advocates and allies for growth and support.
Recommended
Transcript
Introduction and Career Beginnings
00:00:09
Speaker
This is the Accidental Safety Pro brought to you by HSI. This episode is recorded June 21st, 2024. My name is Jill James, HSI's Chief Safety Officer. And today my guest is Monique Parker. Monique is Senior Vice President of EHS at Piedmont Lithium. Monique is a certified safety professional and a chemical engineer. She's joining us today from North Carolina. Welcome to the show, Monique. Thank you so much, Jill. I'm very excited to be here today. Yeah, Monique, I'm so happy to have you here. You know, you and I are passive crossed in the last year doing doing some presenting with the National Safety Council. And it's so fun to have you here. And I haven't heard your full origin story yet. So how did things start for your accidental journey into this career?
00:00:59
Speaker
mean You know, I've reached, and yeah as you've already talked to so many people, it is definitely accidental a lot of times.
Discovering EHS and Early Career
00:01:07
Speaker
When I was in eighth grade, I decided I wanted to be a chemical engineer because I loved balancing chemical equations. And I was able to do that for the rest of their lives. and So that's where my journey started in chemical engineering. And once I was in there, I learned the connection to environmental. And I was like, oh, this makes so much sense to me. One, I had a passion for environmental. I could still use my technical. But I really had no clue about the safety side of things. So I was just looking environmental.
00:01:39
Speaker
I couldn't get a job in that when I graduated. So I went into process engineering, doing chemical engineering type stuff. And that's when I was introduced to EHS. And I was like, this makes sense. One environmental, I could feed that technical beast inside. But then the safety side was really where I got my people connection. And I tell everybody, I don't think I'm a typical engineer because the engineers I went to school with didn't really like people. here ah web, web, web interacting with people. So EHS was like the perfect blend of me as a person. and And so I fell in, I had great mentors to help me figure out the safety stuff. And 20 years later, I'm still here loving it. Oh my gosh.
00:02:24
Speaker
Oh my gosh, you you you said you loved balancing equations in eighth grade. Oh my god, that was the hardest thing in the world for me. I i think I still get like twitchy thinking about it. And I'm also remembering like, like this student, ah you know, my peers who helped me like I'd sit around my parents kitchen table. I'm like, I don't understand how to balance these equations. And you loved it. You're a little nerdy. That's a good thing. That's a good thing. ah Hey, so I wanted to ask about the connection to the environment from the engineering piece. what you know How does that piece carry over into your career now? Do you still have that passion?
00:03:06
Speaker
i mean I think the environment side is always going to be a passion. um I've learned how to navigate that and connect it to the people, which I think is really the the strength of why I still love the profession so much. ah yeah but When you're dealing with environmental stuff and and definitely in the world I'm in with manufacturing, the mining, you're always interacting with people and trying to help them understand not only the impact to the environment, but how we're trying to protect it, just as if you're trying to protect people on the safety side. so For me, it was just a natural connection and I can still, you know like I said, have that technical feel, but I've learned how to soften it and make it a more personal feel because a lot of times, environmental isn't personal.
00:03:53
Speaker
But again, you know, making sure that you figure out that connection and engage with it, I think is the most important piece. and And again, why I still love this profession so much. yeah oh Yeah. So can we back
Industry Transitions and Mentorship
00:04:07
Speaker
up a little bit? So you, you finished school and you said you couldn't find a job in your field. What was, what was that first thing you landed on that, that started, that started your launch? oh well so i was i did um I worked for Milliken Company in Blacksburg, South Carolina doing process engineering where we dyed and finished polycotton fabric. and so That's my first launch into the real world, I'll say.
00:04:35
Speaker
During in college I had internships with Saturn Corporation and and always really worked on the ah the engineering side and my last summer I was introduced to EHS there and that's where I was like, okay, this is something that I could do. um but at Milliken Company was all process engineering. And so I didn't stay connected to it. But again, it's really where it taught me and allowed me to be introduced to safety. And that was one of the most impactful things because for the longest, I didn't even really make the connection of safety. Having had been a process engineer working with the people and having to design and modify processes to make sure people were safe, it was a no brainer to me.
00:05:19
Speaker
Yeah. And that's what you did at Milliken. That's how you got into it. Yeah. Interesting. Interesting. So your designing processes, did you like start dipping into ergonomics at that time as well? Not, I did not at that time. My first time when in ergonomics is when I got my first EHS job and I was working fully in textiles with Hexcel where we were weaving fiberglass fabric. And if anybody's been in a weaving mill, you know that there are so many ergonomic factors there. And it was like the catalyst of understanding ergonomics for me ah because you had sometimes ah different individuals
00:05:59
Speaker
ah using very small tools, very intricate, and just it just gave me terrors of carpal tunnel every time I walked into those rooms. It was really interesting because, again, being introduced to safety in such an environment really gave me a very broad spectrum of a lot of different hazards and risks in one organization. Yeah, I have never been into a weaving facility. I you know i i think, gosh, 30 years in, I think I've seen just about everything, but you just told me I haven't. thats Yeah, that's interesting. that's it now i want Now I want to see that work. I'm going to have to Google that one. so Yeah, so how long were you there before you moved on?
00:06:40
Speaker
Oh, so I was with Excel in State School, North Carolina for about three years before I moved on to ah another role, ah which again was a completely different role for me. It was going into food where I had never in my life worked in food. So that was another, whoa, this is big and different. And again, Having had a good solid foundation on safety, it allowed me to take that knowledge and skills and transition to a different engine industry. But again, I learned that safety is it really industries don't really change the safety aspects. Obviously, the hazards and risks are different. But and how you address them may be different.
00:07:21
Speaker
but the risks are very, very ah present. And so if you have an understanding of how to identify various risks and then adaptable to minimizing, preventing, or understanding, and then again, having the relationships with the people that will be willing to talk to you and help and teach you learn, the different processes were all critical. Yeah, agreed with that. I think and think sometimes um early on in people's career, you know you think that maybe your industry is a snowflake, um but really, you know you're you're right. It's the same applications go regardless of the type of industry. So when you started that that second that second job, were you did you enter in through the engineering door or were you solidly in EHS at that time?
00:08:09
Speaker
followed it in EHS, so once I left Milliken Company and went to Hetfield, I was all EHS from then on. Yeah, yeah, interesting. And so, boy, food industry, yeah, very, very different. Was it um in, I mean, can I ask, was it in the meatpacking industry or was it in other food processing? No, it was, ah it was actually I worked for Unilever at the location where at that time they made Slim Fast. ah say And it was also a time where it, you know, when I was there,
00:08:40
Speaker
We were transitioning and it was the end of the year and and we were going into the Oprah effect. And so Oprah was going to talk about Sloane Fast on her show. And once before everything at work was like, get ready. We're getting ready to have the Oprah effect. We're going to have to, you know, We're going to have sales and so much is going to be booming and we just got to get ready. And I was like, is this a real thing? in And we talked about it and it was like the Oprah fake where sales did jump for a little bit. Really? That's funny just to see how all the things work. I mean, I'm looking at things on the safety side, but I learned so much more about the various industries and how celebrities impact those industries.
00:09:20
Speaker
Oh my gosh, that's so interesting. That's so interesting. I've heard the same thing with people who talk um during elections as well, in in particular industries and the things that things that change with that. Oh, that's really interesting. Hmm. The Oprah effect. Can't say I've heard that one on the show before. So ah during this during this time of your career, did you have particular mentors that you were seeking out or how did how were you how were you learning and growing professionally?
00:09:54
Speaker
Well, um as I mentioned, when I first went to ah Hexel in Statesville, north North Carolina, I was introduced to two very strong safety professionals, both who had been in their career for some time. um One was our regional person who was basically there with me day one. and took me by the hand and then our corporate director was again another very knowledgeable person and both of them and to this day I still have conversations with them um and we still engage and I continually thank them for their guidance and I tell them.
00:10:30
Speaker
Without them, I probably wouldn't have the career I have because they laid the foundation. yeah But ah both Dave Rubin and Don Cross were instrumental in and me feeling confident in my safety, knowledge, and abilities. And then always being a guidepost for me to go to when I found myself in new territory that just didn't make sense or I wasn't clear and I could I could be vulnerable with them um and talk about you know some of my concerns and gaps because when you're the person that everybody at a facility is coming to, you can't always show that vulnerability. That's right. They allowed me to be vulnerable and caring of me to help me get to resolutions. And and so I'm very thankful to have that guidance and mentorship um throughout my career. And even to this day, both are retired, but we still stay connected.
00:11:19
Speaker
i I love that. I i've recently reached out to a very early mentor of mine in my first year of work, and he's also retired. And I just called to thank him, you know, out of the blue. And he's like, well, this is interesting. And I said, yeah, I need to thank you for two things, you know, that I've really carried through my career. Yes. Yeah, it's so important. So important. So what was your next stopping point?
Aerospace Sector and Leadership Development
00:11:45
Speaker
So after I left Unilever, I actually went back to Hexcel. So when I left Hexcel, I left because again, it was a textile industry and and they were getting ready to look to sell that facility. And I was really concerned about staying in textiles, you know, who would come in and buy it and what would that look like? And so I left, but Hexcel as an organization was more into
00:12:10
Speaker
the aerospace industry, so chemical manufacturing, making acrylonitrile, using acrylonitrile to make carbon fiber, to make airplane parts. And so they called me and they said, hey, we just created this regional role where you'll be responsible for all of the US or North America and we'd love for you to apply. So I did and I ended up going back to Hexcel. in a very different role outside of textiles, but more on the chemical side. and Again, um that role introduced me to a lot of different things. One, it had me move to Salt Lake City, Utah. um so You had this a young woman who at the time was also going through a divorce moving to Salt Lake City, Utah. oh and it was It was interesting, personally, professionally, culturally,
00:12:59
Speaker
a But it definitely, really, the job was phenomenal. I loved the role, I loved the experience, I loved the knowledge. I was seeing so many different things, again, ah looking at ah true chemical manufacturing for the first time ah on ah as on the safety side of things. Also looking at, you know, presses and molds where we're making parts, which was, again, something new and different. yeah And then throwing in the element of being in Salt Lake City, Utah um really helped me adapt to external factors that you know can impact you on ah on the work side. So it was a great experience. I still have ah friends that live in Salt Lake that I still communicate with. oh my so My son learned a passion for
00:13:48
Speaker
snow and mountains and the outdoors to the point where he now attends the Air Force Academy where he gets to see the beautiful mountains all the time. so i mean I think it was ah a great opportunity and it was a great experience. yeah I'm hearing the thread of connection and people and um Yeah, had ah talk more about those relationship things. And you mentioned you really learned some um things about your about yourself maybe in building relationships. It sounds like Utah was one of those places, but it started before that. What were you learning about the importance of that for yourself as a professional, but also for the work?
00:14:31
Speaker
Well, I mean, I think I will say for the first time in my personal and professional career, being in Salt Lake really opened my eyes to diversity or the lack thereof in certain situations. You know, many times as I was growing up, I was, you know, a lot of times being in engineering, especially chemical engineering, the only female, and sometimes being the only African-American. And I never really thought about it. It never really made a difference to me because I saw myself you know just being with everybody else, doing the same things. But going to Salt Lake City, having a young child and being single, it really opened my eyes to how I needed to navigate not the world, not only for myself, but for my son, and then how that impacted my career.
00:15:19
Speaker
And so I surrounded myself with amazing people there as well. I mentioned when I went into safety, I had great mentors, but when I moved to Salt Lake City, um you know, all the stars aligned and I met a phenomenal ah family who really they were um It was one of the ladies that worked at the daycare that I put my son in and she had three sons. She was super supportive. She even became my nanny because at the time I was traveling for work and so my son would stay at her with her for you know a whole week while I was traveling that week.
00:15:55
Speaker
And she taught me so much about the culture. She taught me, she taught him so much about true, I call it true care for people regardless of so many other factors. And it really helped me translate a lot of that learning when I was at work because it allowed me to remove some of my own biases and barriers that didn't allow me to connect completely at times. And so I really, I really am thankful for that opportunity because at first I was like Salt Lake City, but you know, looking back on it after being there and living through it, it was a very pivotal part of how I'm a better leader um when it comes to safety, how I'm a better person. um And so I really,
00:16:41
Speaker
I'm thankful for the opportunity. Like I said, it showed me how diversity can be a positive and a lot of when sometimes women we may look at it as a negative and especially when it comes to safety because and I connect that to safety. At the end of the day, we sometimes want to put safety in a box and say this is how it works. Really have to look at safety and meet people where they are because not everybody comes to, you know, work for an organization with the same background knowledge, skills or abilities. And if we try to put everybody in a box and teach them safety or engage with them in the same way, we're going to miss opportunities. And so now I.
00:17:18
Speaker
very open and looking at that as we roll out programs, as we develop programs, as we communicate programs, because we need to meet people where they are and not expect them to be where we want them to be. Yeah, can you think of an example of how that was sort of a switch that that turned on for you and insult like i I can think of it in my, my own background. um As I'm listening to you, I'm, you know, I'm thinking about some of my jobs were diverse where the workforce
00:17:51
Speaker
was very diverse and different than what I knew myself. um And I needed, you know I remember supervisors coming to me and sharing some things, after um you know like just buy-in. I had farm workers from all these different countries and they said, hey, if we could just fly the flags from their home countries at these facilities, it would make them feel like home. Like this is a simple thing like that. Or um me me going from as a Northern or a Minnesotan into the South um and flopping. you know went The first time I tried to do some training with a group of people and having an administrative assistant pull me aside and saying, you've got to do more work building relationships with these people. They don't know you, they don't trust you, you talk too fast.
00:18:47
Speaker
you know, um and and they want you to know their names, like practice memorizing their names, you know, like things like that. And so every time I'd show up in that particular place, um we had this like, it was kind of a game, I'd get all these people together and they'd be like, hey, Northerner, do you know our names? And then I'd go around the room and I'd be like, you know, I'd quiz, I'd be quizzing myself on the, on the, on the drive there. I'm like, am I gonna remember all these people? you know, and they love that I could remember their names. It's just like there's so many unique things to learn about human beings and building relationships. So what were some of those aha moments for you in that time?
00:19:26
Speaker
Well, it's funny you say the thing about names because when I was in that phase of my life and career, I had a memory. I mean, I can't say that my memory is as great as it was then, which was almost 20 years ago, which is scary. yeah But yeah one of the things I prided myself on, so I would go into a facility and for whatever reason, the facilities would like for me to do a training while I was there. And I think it was one, again, just to change the monotony because the normal people that would give training from this safety department at the site, they just like to make it fresh and do something different. And so I was very, very adamant about, as you just noted, knowing people's names. So I would always go around the room and I'd tell everybody to tell me their name.
00:20:10
Speaker
um And then one the thing that I would do is at the end I would go back and repeat their names for them and it was Something that I pride myself on because I felt just as you explained It was a way to connect it was a bait way to build trust and for me trust is so critical and important especially in a safety profession because if people don't trust you then they're not going to one let you know what's going on and help you figure out how to help them and to they they they may not
00:20:43
Speaker
always take what you're saying is something that's valuable for them and then think about do we really want to do it or how do we do it or may not be as willing to do it. So it was one that was one of the big things that I've always prided myself on. And again, I'm not as good at as it as at now. I just need to practice more. I guess it's one of those muscles that I had in practice in such a while that it doesn't work as well, but it's still something that I try very hard to always do. is ensure that I get names, remember names, and use them as much as possible. ah But that was one thing that I did when I was in with Hexcel and through that phase. One of the other things that was really important for me is, you know, when I would go to sites, because I had about six or seven in the US at the time, and then I also supported doing environmental audits globally for the company.
00:21:33
Speaker
But I also made sure that I fully immersed myself as much as possible in the local culture. um So, you know, figuring out what is it that the locals eat? Where do they go eat? What do they like to eat it? And because I love food. So anytime I'm going somewhere, there's going to be some food that's, you know, local to the area that are associated with that. vi then so It was figuring out you know their love languages, whether it was food or sports, and being able to have true, meaningful conversations when I was doing my tour. so I didn't just like going through a plan and trying to figure out all the good and bad, but I would spend time with the people and say, what are you doing? Tell me about it, and those types of things. and so
00:22:16
Speaker
That for me was really, really important during that phase is to make sure people felt seen and heard and not just, oh, this corporate person is coming in, we got to be on our top behavior. I never wanted that stigma. And so I always tried my very best to engage and support and understand, again, I use a similar word as I used before, but understand where they were in their career, their journey, what was important to them um and use that as much as possible.
00:22:51
Speaker
Yeah, I mean, having you you're really describing an inclusive um inclusivity in how you applied that in your in your work for sure. yeah have And you know you just said something else about, and i i I have forgotten about this in pieces of my career. You said you were part of the you know the the corporate environment, the corporate office. where And I didn't often think about that when I would go and visit sites someone else had to tell me that, like, listen, Jill, don't, you know, you represent the boss, you represent the corporate place. So people are, you know, they there's some interpretation, walk into a place. And, you know, I was just going along thinking, well, you know, I'm just Jill's the safety professional, I'm here to help people.
00:23:42
Speaker
And I didn't, that switch had to get turned on for me by someone else to say, you know, this, you have some gravity when you walk in, be careful with what you're wielding. Yep. And it's, and I mean, it is something that I think sometimes because we don't, as you just said, we don't always see ourselves that way because we see ourselves as we're here to help. yeah But reality of it is, you know, we don't know what the plant manager or the the leadership has told those people in the plant before we get there that makes them maybe think, oh, we have to do we have to be different. And I wanted my very best to never for anyone to never feel like you have to change who you are just because I show up. That's right.
00:24:25
Speaker
And so, because that's the, I try to do that in my own stuff. I'm like, you know, I want, whether I'm talking with our CEO or, you know, the maintenance leader or one of our maintenance techs, I don't, they're all people. And so for me, it's making sure that everyone feels as if they are valuable, regardless of the position they hold. Yeah, ah agreed agreed. So what was your next stopping point? And and and how long did you did you hang out in Salt Lake?
Hands-on Experience and Relationship Building
00:24:57
Speaker
So I've lived in Salt Lake, physically lived in Salt Lake for one year.
00:25:02
Speaker
okay And at that point i I made a decision. My son was about to start school and I didn't feel like it was going to be the right environment for a young African-American boy to start school. And so I requested to be relocated to Huntsville, Alabama, which is where we had one of our other bigger facilities that we were getting ready to majorly expand. And so I went to Huntsville, still stayed with Hexel, still had the role over the US. um And I was with Hexel in that role for about four years um and then my husband
00:25:36
Speaker
he He came to me very kindly um because at that point I was traveling about 75% of the time. He was like, oh, I think you need to come and hang out at home sometime. um and So can we look for something where you're not traveling so much? And our daughter had just graduated high school and our son was getting ready to go into third grade. So I was like, OK, I need to make a transition. I need to. um to really sit down and do what was right for the family. So I looked for another job and I ended up, well we ended up in Jackson, Tennessee ah working for Owens Corning. And again, another industry. I was doing flip chop fiber that went into ah roofing shingles and so I was then building materials.
00:26:21
Speaker
Um, and it was very interesting. One, we were moving from Huntsville, Alabama to Jackson, Tennessee. So still so both still in the South, both what I call small cities. Um, but it was just, it was a nice transition. We were able to really build a network. Um, you know, I talked about, uh, transitioning when I moved to salt Lake and learning about myself, um, through the different senses in the culture. But when we moved to Tennessee, we were able to immerse ourselves in the community, and it was really, really nice. We had a good community around us, had ah another fabulous job where, again, I still have very good friends and relationships with many people there um that I talk to or communicate with through text or whatever on a regular basis.
00:27:12
Speaker
But on the safety side of that job, very different industry. We're dealing with hot molten glass. We're dealing with you know hazards that I hadn't been around. And one of the things, and I hadn't mentioned this during our discussion so far, but Anytime I was responsible for location, so not at a more corporate role, but at a location, I like to do the jobs. So any job that was at that location, I wanted to be, you know, technically, I could do the work if I needed to. And as long as I was in a non-union facility, that was fine and everybody supported it. And in in Tennessee, it was non-union. And so I learned how to do the work that everybody was doing. I could, you know,
00:27:55
Speaker
ah Working the wheat not the wheat from I could work in the the tunnels where the glass was coming out of the furnace and we were making it into to fiberglass and those types of things and it gave me a level of respect not only of the work that people were doing but the employee the operators also respected the fact that I was that in there actually trying to figure out how they did what they did but You know, it made me ask a lot of questions from a safety side and and we would have good conversations and it was just it was one of the best times where I felt fully integrated into the culture in the plant and sometimes it was
00:28:33
Speaker
you know the employees would see me as their voice to to outside to whether it was our plant manager to outside leadership to the point where at one time we were getting ready to implement bunk caps uh within this time of one so you've got hot molten glass the room is still cold but the employees because they didn't want to wear them they started taking temperatures of their heads to show how hot it was underneath these bunk caps and I was like oh my gosh and you know it was just they felt comfortable to figure out ways and they knew that i they would pull my strings and get me to be like, oh, my gosh, that's so hot. And I would do that. But at the same time, I was like, well, we've got to do this. So where is our happy medium? yeah And so, you know, it just really it really manifested or enhanced, I'll say, how important relationships are for me and especially in a safety role. And and I know as a safety professional, we have to be careful because there's, ah you know, some lines that we need to make sure that we maintain.
00:29:32
Speaker
in order to be able to support the safety of the employees and the organization and also make sure that we meet the needs of the employees. But it was a very good time because one, I had transitioned from a corporate role traveling all the time. And so this allowed me to really build relationships again on a more close, a little more intimate level. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, you know, I think I think that's one of those unique things about our profession. For those of us who, like you just said, go alongside employees, and at least attempt to try to learn their work, and yeah, do and to do their work. And those are some of my best memories as well in my in my entire career is is being alongside someone and saying, you know, show me how you do this.
00:30:20
Speaker
and I did a lot of that and when I worked in the poultry industry. Of course, it makes for great conversations. and oh Oh, I can't believe you, you know, inseminated a turkey. I can't believe you, you know, I can't believe you got in a pen with toms and and milked them. And yeah, that's what it is. ah But the people that do that work are excellent at their work. They're excellent at it. And they have, wow you know, it's ah a point of pride, you know, when, you know, when I needed to learn a particular piece of the industry, it's like, okay, this is the employee who has the highest yield. This is the doing that job. This is the employee that teaches everybody else.
00:31:05
Speaker
And, and, you know, I'm like, please teach me because my goal and like in those situations was to understand musculoskeletal stresses on the body and I needed to feel it myself. Yes, in order to be able to help come up with solutions that could work for them. And then of course there's like some sort of mystery um communication system from state to state or location to location where they're like, hey, I heard you did this over at that site. Come and do it here too. We want you to understand how it's different here. And it just really enhanced, yes, the relationship, but also um the way that I approached mitigating hazard and risk because I experienced it myself.
00:31:50
Speaker
With and I mean, I think to me that was one of the bigger things is how can I tell somebody that the way they're doing it is the safest way or it's not safe if I haven't done it. Yeah. And so I felt like that was important for me just to be able to really have confidence in what I was saying or what declarations I were i was making for various parts of the organization. Yeah, and i I feel like it was important as a female in our profession to do that as well. Yeah, talk more about talk more about that. I mean, I think, you know, most female safety professionals have all have sometimes in their career just felt like, oh, I've got a i got to do something a little bit extra because, you know, people don't expect me to, you know, when people look at me, they don't think that, oh, she's probably changed her radiator in her car.
00:32:47
Speaker
Um, although I have, cause my grandfather was a mechanic and he made sure that I didn't got to change a tire, change oil, do whatever. And I was also a little bit of a tomboy. So anytime he was out there, I wanted to be out there. And so when you look at. a lot of times you look at females, you don't think what all the things they have or can do. And so that was always a point of contention for me to prove that I can do anything anybody else can do. And and and that was also it always in the back of my mind. You know, I'd never thought about why it was so important for me to do jobs until we were talking about this just now. But I think that was why it was more
00:33:28
Speaker
yes it helped me in my profession but it was also a point to gain respect because I wanted people to know that I'm not the little prissy safety person that you know is going to sit behind a desk and and come out and look at things but um but yeah the woman in our profession it has definitely been eye-opening one when I'm not, I don't know all things, but one, if I don't know, I'm not afraid to say I don't know. That's one thing that I'm very adamant about is I'm not going to sugarcoat it. I'm not going to make step up. I'm going to say, I don't know. Let me go figure it out. I'm going to find somebody that can answer the question for me. And for me,
00:34:10
Speaker
At one point early in my career, I was scared to say I don't know. to on of site As a woman, if I don't know, oh my gosh, I'm not worthy. not But as I matured, I was like, you know what? Nobody knows everything. And if they do, then good for them. I'm glad they've had those experience, but that's just not my world. um and And once I became comfortable in that, it was much easier for me to learn what I didn't know and be very confident in what I knew and how I said it and how I presented myself a and to also be confident when I didn't know and make sure that I closed the loop and got the answers that were necessary.
00:34:48
Speaker
Yeah, absolutely. Same. It and it took it took years. and you you know You and I both do public speaking and webinars and things. And when I started doing ah some of that, when it was like, oh, the live Q and&A session for the last 10, 15 minutes of a presentation, whether it's an audience, an in-person audience or a virtual audience, in the beginning that was really scary but because you were like, am I going to be able to answer these things? And then I just settled into just what you said. i'm Sometimes my answer is going to be, I don't know that. ah Sometimes my answer is going to be, I don't know, but what I do know is, you know, and and yeah, look I'll come back. I'll come back. Yeah, I'll come back. Yeah, I think, you know, you're talking about
00:35:41
Speaker
um Yeah, how we approach things and and being a woman in our field and the lens that somehow I picked up on early in my career was remembering what my father would say as someone who he worked in a factory in my whole life. And I would hear him come home and talk about, you know, the boss, the corporate people, the what do they know, they've never done the job. got You know, they just, you know, those smarty pants people that went to college, though he didn't say it like that, it was definitely more cutting and unkind. um and And so I always thought, okay, what would, if I'm speaking with someone, what would my dad accept?
00:36:26
Speaker
ah You know, what would he accept from me? oh That would resonate maybe with so that was the that was the lens that I used. I love that because I mean, again, you took an experience and you used it to help you be the better version of yourself. And I think that's what we all should strive for. And you know, and as as we were just talking, as you were mentioning that story and before when you were talking about how we speak at conferences and the Q and&A after, I think is, you know, how can we help others figure out how to be comfortable as they're in
Importance of DEI in EHS
00:37:07
Speaker
the profession? So, you know, it's sharing that example of
00:37:13
Speaker
how do you help someone get to the point where when they go home, they can speak positively about you? So, you know, if you had went into a facility where your father worked and note working how you work, when he had gone home and said, this amazing safety woman came into our our facility today and oh my gosh, it was so inviting. That's what you would, that's, you know, how I hear your goal to be when you're going home now is so that they have a very positive experience versus a negative. and And sometimes as safety professionals, we don't always give the best news or give the best solutions that people like. You know, as the the bump cap example I provided. I have given them the answer they wanted, which is you don't have to wear those. But at the end of the day, I want people to understand why they have to do something.
00:38:02
Speaker
And I want to make sure that I've looked at all sides of how it can impact them both personally and professionally and what they do. And all of those things are very, very important. And what I learned early in my career is not every safety professional attacks things that way. I love them going and be like, I'm safety. I've told you about to do go do it regardless. And those are the ones that nobody wants. Those are the safety cops and everybody goes and hides from. Right. But if you can be the safety person that people want run to to talk to and then people I've had people say, why does everybody want to come talk to you when you come? And it's not because I have so many intriguing things about me, but it's I think it's because I actually try to listen. And even if I can't fix it that time, I
00:38:47
Speaker
and come back with, we couldn't, we could, or this is where we adapted. That's what I pride myself on is trying to figure out that happy medium for everybody. um and I love solving problems. and so ah ah It's funny because I was talking to my daughter yesterday and shes and the the joke is, you know it's like I always want to fix everything for everybody. Um, and I was like, well, that's just what I do. And you know, that's what I do personally. That's what I do professionally, ah but sometimes we can't. And those are the times when you really just have to sit back and and listen versus trying to fix. Yeah, that's right. And that's the harder of a, that's the harder thing. Oh, yes. Yeah.
00:39:31
Speaker
Yeah. And you and I just, I mean, your you're talking about something that I know that you and I and another friend of ours um are going to be speaking about at a conference later this year. And it's not these different personas that we develop and take on as we mature or mature into our profession. And one of those is Safety Cop that you just mentioned. and and um And perhaps one that we're going to have to develop and work on for our presentation as we're talking is that deep listener. Yes, you know that that listening and and what is that? Yeah, what are the gains there? And how do you practice that without without feeling stressed out? Like I, you know, like I've got to be the one that provides this answer. But the answer isn't going to necessarily come without that ability to do the deep listening.
00:40:22
Speaker
Uh-huh. Yes. Yes. Yes. So Monique, what happened? you know are we Are we almost close to the present time in your career or how many? I mean, you've you've had a really interesting career in in super high hazard industries and so many of them linked um in different ways with the chemical industry, you know, your background in chemical engineering, for sure. But what what happened? What happened next? So after I left Owens Corning, I asked for permission to go back on the road. And when I say asked, my husband and I sat down and talked. You know, I really um have enjoyed, ah you know, being in this role and being able to be home, but I really would like to go back to more of the corporate role where I have a different impact. And so I started looking for a role and I was able to ah get a job with Albemarle Corporation where ah within their lithium division. And so at the time it was 2016, lithium was
00:41:22
Speaker
in a stage where people were paying attention to it. It was becoming a bigger commodity um and the minerals spilled and EVs weren't really the big thing yet, but they were coming. um and so I had never i never in a million years thought, one, I'd be in a mining industry, but definitely not with lithium. So again, another industry, I was responsible globally for about 12 different facilities, um dealing with lithium in some way, former fashion. And so another industry, mining, which I have since being in it for now, almost eight years, I have a very much
00:42:03
Speaker
different level of respect and understanding ah for what that looks like and how it impacts on the necessity that it has for, um you know, our economy and our world. um And then different cultures. I was thrown into a lot more diverse cultures, you know, as my first engagement going to China or Asia Pacific as a whole. um I was engaging in Germany and and in South America, and so it again was very—I used—I stayed with my background and the way I had led up until that point, and it really helped me um transition into those roles, how to adapt to the environment, but already having a respect for different cultures.
00:42:45
Speaker
Uh, and also, you know, keeping in mind that diversity was very important because it was the role that I had the most diverse geography. So therefore the most diverse workforce so that I was working with to support. And it allowed me to really blossom. And I will say that's where the, my connection to DNI, uh, diversity, equity, inclusion really blossomed because although When I moved to Salt Lake, it was the first time it was really prominent for me, but this role made it massively important and big and and looking at the the scope of all the things that I supported and it could have an impact on. and
00:43:29
Speaker
And especially on the safety front in regards to, you know, how we implement policies and procedures in different cultures, how some words that are really important in safety in the US don't mean the same and you can't translate them well. And, you know, it was just those the things that really ae helped me have a greater respect for the broader ah different demographics and diversity as a whole. Yeah. you know and I noticed, I don't know when you noticed it, Monique, but I noticed just a couple of years ago that our industry, the EHS industry was, or profession, I guess, was starting to pay attention to DEI and that's and that it's an integral piece to the work that we do and how we do it. know I think it was a couple of conferences ago.
00:44:22
Speaker
where i came I came back to my team and my CEO had said, you know, was there like a common theme this year? And I said, yeah, it was it's DEI. That is the thing. And then, you know, quizzically kind of looks and goes, huh, you know, it but it makes complete sense. Why wouldn't it? Why wouldn't it be part of our career? And you know, and I think I thought about this for some time because I agree. It was like a switch flipped and everything was D and I, especially in our world. And I was like, but D and I was, have been around so long because when we started, when the safety world, you know, a lot of times it's about training, training, training, and we started
00:45:01
Speaker
ring realizing that people learn in different ways. That was just a nugget of DE&I. There's a little bit of difference. Connected to DE&I, we just looked at it as adult learning. Oh my gosh, that's so true. There's a, those learning is so different and we need to, not everybody learns through presentations or videos and this, that and the other, but that was really D you i and I. Um, and so now when we look at D and I, obviously we look at it much broader than just our learning style, but we bring in.
00:45:34
Speaker
you know our experiences we bring in um the difference and especially with having so many generations in the workforce right now for a safety professional with the different generations with the difference you know in backgrounds and cultures it really makes any leadership you know have to think about it in a different way. But especially for us as safety professionals, because we our role is to make sure that we're meeting the needs of everybody. And meeting the needs of everybody, as I mentioned earlier, is so different when you look at the diversity that we come into. Because now we have a workforce that's not just always all men, we have a workforce that's you know not just um even women that
00:46:17
Speaker
You know, maybe, uh, the difference in the, the, uh, the words are slipping me right now, but you know, we have the differences in all of our body types. And so when we talk about PPE and how well it fits for a long time, you just, you know, everybody gets the same safety glasses regardless, whether they fit right or not. ah Nobody cared. And then I remember going through a phase where I had a little device where I would go measure the gaps of people's safety glasses to make sure they had the right protection. And if they didn't, we had to find it. And I mean, it's just those types of things that diversity has been there, but we just didn't put it in a box or give it a title.
00:46:55
Speaker
And i I feel like now we're finally given it a title and it allows us to really address things more broadly without having to you know figure things out by ourselves because there's a bigger um appetite for having those discussions now. Hmm, that is so interesting. And yeah, you're just making me think of ah several years ago when people would ask me to come and speak on generational differences in the workplace because I had a i had a keen interest in it and so I studied it. um Yeah, and there's like all these layers or the learning styles that you talked about. Oh my gosh, it's all this it's all this fabric and we have a completely
00:47:38
Speaker
I think DEI maybe gave language, yeah but all of these things that you're talking about that we just absolutely must consider to keep people safe and healthy and feeling cared for. Uh-huh. I love it. um Yeah. Where else would you like to go with your, with your profession? You you got, okay. So you got into mining, you got into lithium. Yep. Yeah.
Current Role and Safety Culture Development
00:48:07
Speaker
I was with Apple Marl for about five, a little bit over five years. And then I joined Piedmont, which is where I am today. yeah Still doing lithium.
00:48:15
Speaker
um My role, the reason I came to Piedmont is ah we were a development company, and so it wasn't that I didn't have a big corporation sitting behind with all the pretty procedures and a little binder that said, this is how we do things. Piedmont allowed me to kind of develop. our own management systems for safety and environmental. And it's been phenomenal. i was I came in excited about it. I was like, I get to build my own. And then once I was here, I was terrified. I was like, I've got to build my own. um you know And it's not my own. I say mine like it's something that I, um but it was you know working with a team to develop our policies and procedures for future operations.
00:48:56
Speaker
has been a labor of love for me. I mean, like I said, it's been terrifying because it's like, oh, everybody's looking at us to make this happen. But it's been exhilarating because we're making it happen. And we're you know helping develop the culture of our organization. We're helping to educate And we're in the the front the front of all of these activities because we're not in operation yet. um So it's been phenomenal. It's been a great poor ah time in my career where I get to really be strategic where for so long it's been more about the doing and getting things done and following the rules.
00:49:34
Speaker
But now being able to be strategic and think about what does this need to look like and how do we make it right for all and how do we make it meet the needs. It's been we've had such amazing conversations ah within our team and the organization to be able to to deliver. the outcome and and as we continue to grow, I'm very excited about what that's going to look like. I'm very excited about how the team will grow ah with it, how we'll have to adapt because we're never going to get it right the first time. We just got to get it as good as we can for right now and then make sure that we learn from it. Sam, I could go on and on and ramble about this, but it's a very exciting time for us right now.
00:50:18
Speaker
Yeah, and you're creat you're creating the path. Yeah. from here you're You're definitely creating it and building it as you go. And that is daunting and exhilarating. Most definitely. That's so awesome. Monique, you mentioned your kids before. what um How has your profession bled into your parenting or your kids tell you that it has? ah That's hilarious. So have we have three kids ah and a grandson. And, you know, I see because of my profession, I think of hazards and risk and in life in general. So that drops them all crazy because this it's like, you know, we've got to figure out where the best way to do things. And then, you know, I always have to solve problems because I have to get to the root cause and the corrective action. So those are the things that drive my husband and my kids absolutely crazy. It's because we have to understand the root cause so we don't get back here again. wow ah But that's one thing. But they, I mean, they, the thing that I think, and I heard it from them this week, actually, when everyone was talking for Father's Day is, you know, it's just like this, and the need that I have
00:51:29
Speaker
um in order to communicate and and bring everything together is is something that is part of who I am per personally and professionally, where communication is port and relationships are critical. And that's what I think that's the thing that's led into the family the most is than we need to make sure that our family is connected and we're communicating and and that we have those right strong relationship relationships so we can have the good and fun conversations and the difficult ones all at the same time.
00:52:01
Speaker
That's beautiful. That's beautiful. I love it. I love it. As we finish out our time today, Monique, is there anything that you'd like to share with the with the listeners out there, whether they're maybe just getting started, or they've been at this a while, or yeah to the women that are listening? I mean, I think my biggest thing, and and we, you and I have had these conversations, but I think the biggest thing is, one, encouragement, you know, wanting to continue to encourage other females to get into the profession, help them understand what it is, how we impact what we're doing and what that looks like, um but also help them understand to be authentic to themselves, that you don't have to, excuse me,
00:52:55
Speaker
You don't have to conform. And ah we've had in one of our last presentations, we talked about, you know, a lot of times people are like, you know, you have to think like a man or be like a man or you think like a man. You know, that's not the world we live in anymore. We are allowed to. be authentically ourselves to have our own opinions and and As I said, we also have the ability to be vulnerable and say we don't know and that's okay um and so I just want more females in our profession to feel confident in what they know and if they don't know figure out how to get that knowledge and understanding if it's something that they need to know and just be
00:53:38
Speaker
be comfortable in their own skin. At the end of the day, as you know being in the profession for 20 years now, being comfortable in your skin, if I could have been that comfortable when I was early in my career, I don't know where I would be in my career today. so I encourage well all women to find that comfort level as early as possible. then and continue to grow and find people that will help you do that, whether it's male or female, but find those advocates and those um allies for you so that you can have people to bounce things off of and and also have that growth that you live and desire for. beautiful Beautiful. Monique, thank you so much. Really appreciate your time today. Thank you so much, Jill. I've enjoyed it and I look forward to being seeing you soon.
00:54:26
Speaker
Me too, me too. And thank you all for spending your time listening today. And more importantly, thank you for your contribution toward the common good. May our employees and those we influence know that our profession cares deeply about human well-being, which is the core of our practice. If you aren't subscribed and want to hear past and future episodes, you can subscribe in iTunes, the Apple Podcast app, or any other podcast player you'd like. Or if you'd like to read the transcript and listen, you can do that at hsi dot.com. We'd love it if you could leave a rating and review us on iTunes. It really helps us connect the show with more and more safety and health professionals like Monique and I. Special thanks to Emily Gould, our podcast producer. And until next time, thanks for listening.