Farzana is a seasoned General Management professional with over 20 years of experience in Shipping, Logistics, and Supply Chain. She brings to the table, expertise in project implementation, strategic transformation, process re-engineering, and Lean methodology. Farzana is a proven innovator with strong leadership, mentoring, and coaching skills, driving global performance optimization and procurement excellence.
In a conversation with Women Entrepreneurs Review Magazine, Farzana shares her view about the evolving landscape of inclusion and diversity in traditionally male-dominated industries like shipping and logistics. She also emphasizes the importance of equitable workload distribution among team members, regardless of gender, to drive efficiency.
Traditional industries such as shipping and logistics are known to have a lower representation of women in the workforce and leadership roles as well. In your opinion how has the scenario evolved over the past decade, in terms of inclusion and diversity in the industry?
Shipping & logistics have traditionally been a male-dominated domain but gradually there has been a shift in this mindset. In recent times there have been some very positive changes in focusing on not just gender diversity but also cultural diversity. Many organizations have implemented Diversity & inclusion programs & continuously strive to create awareness within the organization along with targeted recruitment efforts. Additionally, multiple networking platforms & sessions provide a stepping stone for professional development.
Lastly, in many countries & companies, there have been various policies that support women in their professional journey by adapting to the hybrid way of working partially or fully & encouraging equal pay & equity in promotion cycles based on merit.
As a leader with over 20 years of experience, how do you prioritize creating an inclusive environment where women feel empowered to contribute and thrive in traditionally male-dominated industries like shipping and logistics?
As a Leader with over 20 years of experience in shipping & logistics, I follow a few practices below:-
Championing Diversity & inclusion whereby we constantly talk & actively promote the importance of diversity.
Mentoring & coaching potential talents
Creating a sense of equity within the team where everyone feels safe to express their opinion & bring ideas to the table.
Embedding a strong performance-driven culture where people are gauged on merit & performance.
Following this with a reward & recognition culture based on merit.
Can you share a leadership philosophy or guiding principle that has shaped your approach to management and decision-making throughout your career, particularly in environments where gender dynamics may come into play?
There is a quote by Mr. Ratan Tata that says “If you want to walk fast walk alone but if you want to walk far walk together”. Truly believe as leaders we need to create a team where there is enough synergy to trust & support each other, if we want to go far we cannot walk alone we have to walk together as a team.
Secondly, we deal with people, not machines & hence empathy is extremely crucial in understanding what stimulates us & how we can co-create a better work environment to make it easier for individuals.
Lastly, I also think change is the only constant &we need to become better at adapting. That may mean questioning the status quo, questioning the processes, not the people & things that we are used to doing in a certain way.
As a leader who is a proponent of lean methodology and efficiency, how do we ensure that the workload and responsibilities are distributed equitably among team members, regardless of gender?
Clearly defined goals with objective performance metrics followed by a continuous review mechanism. As leaders, we need to be pragmatic & hands-on with the business dynamics & constantly augment our acumen.
Transparent work allocations & regular team huddles where team members can seek support & are willing to extend support to one another is a great lean tool to follow.
Prioritizing high-impact tasks basis the 80/20 rule (**Pareto principle) leaders can enhance decision-making and ensure that efforts are focused on areas with the greatest impact.
**The Pareto principle suggests that roughly 80% of effects come from 20% of causes.
How can leaders cultivate a communication strategy that embraces flexibility, attention to detail, and inclusivity, ensuring effective interaction with individuals from diverse nationalities across the globe?
I follow my version of the KISS principle (Keep It Simple, Silly)!!!
Keep the communication crisp with clear expectations & clarity on the background of the discussion to provide relevance. Foster an environment where team members feel comfortable asking, and expressing thoughts or concerns.
Practice active listening as this helps to build trust & camaraderie. What we often neglect, is the power of small talk & celebrating small successes!
How can leaders cultivate a culture of continuous learning and collaboration to foster a global mindset and empower individuals to become adept problem solvers, while also leveraging their mentoring and coaching skills to nurture talent within their teams?
Emphasize the importance of continuously learning or sharpening one’s self.
It could be through job rotations, cross-functional collaborations, or online training as simple as learning an Excel formula or understanding various concepts of Lean which can help you in your personal & professional growth.
A robust feedback mechanism through mentoring programs where more experienced leaders can guide other team members based on their experience.
Or the use of various coaching techniques where individuals can be assisted in not just setting goals but also identifying their opportunity areas & sharpening their strengths.
