Insight
This International Women’s Day, we’re celebrating the theme of Give to Gain, and for us at Thinventory it felt like the perfect opportunity to shine a light on something we believe in, the power of collaboration.
We’ve sat down with some of the incredible women across our business to hear how they’ve given their time, knowledge and support to the people around them. Whether that’s through mentoring a colleague, sharing their expertise, or simply showing up for someone who needed support.
In our second interview, we speak to Product Manager Suky Rana and Product Content and Communications Lead Kate O’Brien:
Tell us a bit about yourself?
Suky Rana: I’m a Product Manager at Thinventory and have been with the business for four years. I live in Northamptonshire with my husband, two daughters and our Maltese-Poodle, Bailey.
Kate O’Brien: I’ve been with Thinventory for four and a half years, currently working as Product Content and Communications Lead. I support the product team to turn complex features and knowledge into communication for our customers. I live in Burnham with my husband Matt and our nine-year-old daughter, Abbie.
Share your career journey so far
Kate: I joined Thinventory as a Content Designer and recently progressed to my current role as Product Content and Communications Lead. Prior to joining Thinventory I worked for John Lewis and GSK in a range of HR and learning and development roles.
Suky: I have a technology background, focusing on solving customer problems and creating innovative solutions. I have previous experience in the public sector, NHS, education, B2B, retail, and energy.
How would you describe working at Thinventory?
Kate: The culture is great and the people make the business special. There are no egos and people genuinely want to help each other find the best solutions.
Suky: Everyone gets stuck in and does their bit to support and collaborate with each other to create a positive environment. There are lots of opportunities in the business to progress and learn.
How did you start working together and how do your roles fit in with one another?
Suky: We started working together from day one as Kate and I are both part of the Product Team. Whenever I’m making improvements to products, Kate’s input is valuable to ensure that our products work for our customers.
Kate: We have always worked closely so that I can understand what the goals and requirements are for our products to ensure the customer messaging is right across the product and documentation.
Do you have an example of a time when you have supported each other, either professionally or personally?
Suky: We bounce ideas off each other all the time and this works because we have a similar mindset and both have experience working in different industries which is helpful when we are problem solving.
Kate: I’ve often turned to Suky when I need a sounding board around challenging conversations to ensure that I’m looking at things from the right perspective.
How do your different strengths complement each other?
Kate: Suky is very methodical and organised with her thinking whereas I’m more creative. This works really well when I’m honing the messaging for our products.
Suky: Kate is extremely creative and her input is valuable when making product enhancements or building new features, Kate is very good at adding different perspectives to a conversation. Kate is also a great communicator with the ability to simplify topics and help form clear and concise communication. , I know when asking for advice she will always be open and honest– we have a trusted relationship.
Kate: Also, if I need to find out why something is done a particular way I always go to Suky for the answers.
What does it mean to have a strong female colleague supporting you in the business? Has it made a difference to your career at Thinventory?
Kate: It’s made a huge difference to my career at Thinventory. It’s rare develop a strong relationship with a colleague and to have the level of trust Suky and I share. It’s great to have someone that you can have honest conversations with as well asfriendship. There are a lot of great people that make Thinventory very special.
Suky: Having a strong female colleague with strengths you admire and look up to is really motivating and inspiring. This is even more effective when they are approachable and open to collaboration. Being able to get a second opinion and bounce ideas off someone is always valuable. I believe having this support at Thinventory has helped me develop and made the last 4 years at Thinventory more enjoyable and rewarding.
Has there been a piece of advice either of you have given to each other that has stuck?
Kate: I remember speaking to Suky about a tricky conversation at work and she told me everyone has opinions and to sometimes take them with a pinch of salt. It’s a good reminder to not sweat the small stuff.
Suky: There isn’t a single piece of advice that sticks out; we consistently support each other and try to look at things from different perspectives.
How do you navigate different perspectives, whether between yourselves or with members of your team?
Suky: I try to understand the justification for others’ opinions and why their perspective differs.
Kate: Suky and I don’t disagree but help each other see things from different points of view.
What do you hope other women across the business will take away/ take action after reading this interview?
Suky: I would hope that people reading this would be encouraged to collaborate and communicate with each other. I feel this is the key to building strong and effective working relationships, I always strive to do this better. Kate’s role has evolved since we started working together , she has totally owned this and pushed things forward and that’s very inspiring.
Kate: Foster positive relationships in the workplace. We don’t have official mentoring and coaching programmes but those opportunities are definitely there if you want them. Don’t be afraid to reach out and ask for what you need for the opportunities you want.