International Women's Day - Q&A by Niki Fuchs

1. What does International Women’s Day mean to you as a woman in business?

International Women’s Day is a fantastic celebration because it is a day that recognises just how far women have come. Indeed, the working world has changed a lot, and continues to evolve. Even in the 10 years since we founded OSiT, I have witnessed so many women enter through our doors and emerge more confident than ever.

I am proud to be a woman in business, and am grateful that I am now able to share my experience and knowledge to benefit those looking to make a dent in their respective industries.

2. How do you empower women in your workplace?

Empowering each other is something we should be thinking about all year round, not just on International Women’s Day.

At OSiT, we pride ourselves on our family values, which remain at the heart of everything we do. A big part of this is creating a community culture that encourages the success of our team members. Regardless of position, at OSiT we always look for new ways to inspire career progression and this applies to everyone we work with, especially women. That’s why every year we run a Leadership Academy for all General Managers, as well a variety of workshops, creating the opportunity for women to challenge themselves and learn valuable leadership qualities – so everyone feels empowered to grow.

3. What advice would you give to other women in management positions?

In my experience, the only way we are going to truly empower individuals is to take the time to listen. After all, we can learn so much from each other.

As leaders, we should never stop learning and developing. As we continue to learn about our people, our industry and our competitors, we can broaden our understanding of our work, our teams and ourselves.

Key to this is establishing an open dialogue, where we can create a sense of community that allows us to support and empower each other, regardless of gender. Investing in employees doesn’t have to mean spending money on them, it can simply mean spending your time to listen and engage with them, building an invaluable culture of trust. As leaders, knowing when to take a step back and give our teams the freedom to be creative is incredibly valuable. It helps us to commit to positive change and allow our teams to reach their full potential – because everyone deserves to feel empowered.