10 lessons I've learnt on the BP Graduate Scheme

This is a summary of a talk I delivered to the BP Womens International Network dinner as I reflected on my 3 years on BP's commercial downstream graduate leadership programme...

47 Mondays

You have 47 Mondays a year to decide:

• Who you are
• How you work
• How?you make a difference

So, who am I? I'm Emma, pleased to meet you. In my 3 years at BP I’ve been a Business Analyst, a Buyer and a Regional Project Portfolio Analyst.?I leave the graduate scheme in September but before I go I’d like to share with you the 10 lessons that BP has taught me, hoping they may help you.?

Number one comes from?BP’s VP and CIO, corporate functions, Lyn Grobler who spoke at?a BP Women's Networking?dinner. From her fascinating career story, I learnt to

1) Ruthlessly prioritize.

You have 47 Mondays a year to do your job, do it well and pass that knowledge on. It’s easy to get lost in a haze of priorities so now I ask myself “what’s the nagging task at the back of your mind?” I do that first, even if it’s just my expenses because then I’m less distracted and more productive for the rest of the day.

At?my graduate scheme?introduction event?I learnt

2) It’s all about relationships.

You’ve got 47 Mondays a year to find out who’s who in your world & find ways to connect with them. You decide how to maintain those relationships and maintain results. The reality is sometimes you lose touch with people; sometimes the first thing on my to-do list is to reconnect with someone.

3)?Have a panel of honest advisors.

Someone once told me that my enthusiasm and drive can be intense, like car headlights that are always on full beam… It took a lot of courage for them to tell me that; it’s also how I learnt lesson number 4

4) Courage isn’t just about standing up & speaking out; it’s about sitting down & really listening.

Have you ever noticed that the words Listen & Silent have the same letters? Hearing people jump in halfway through a sentence with “me too!”, “Yeah but…”“Yeah and…” it happens all the time, I’m guilty of it too. I find turning off the inner dialogue so hard; It requires so much discipline and practice. The Dalai Lama said “when you speak you repeat what you already know; when you listen you may learn something new.”??You?learn more about how someone’s mind works, how they interpret information, make decisions; how they feel about certain issues. That’s important because, as Maya Angelou wrote…

5) People will forget what you said; they’ll forget what you did. They will never forget how you made them feel.

I have been privileged to meet those few rare colleagues who are truly gifted at giving people the time, space & freedom to get to the end of their thought processes, experiencing it is incredibly dignifying.?Those extra 5 minutes can make a world of difference, as can taking a break & grabbing a coffee…leading nicely to Lesson 6

6)Never under-estimate the power of the coffee machine!

It’s such a useful pocket of time to reflect on things, to say “your presentation was great!” “Could you show me how to…?” ask questions, get feedback because that’s how you learn lesson number 7:

7) Never be scared to make mistakes.

But when you do, you have to own them. @Nikki Rogers taught me that. We make mistakes because we’re human; we base our decisions on information at hand and it’s always subject to change. All you can do is prepare for it, apologise and learn from it. It’s how I learnt lesson number 8.

8) Always have emergency chocolate on hand.

Great if you forget a birthday and need a last minute gift or something just crops up, like when our office cleaner Stacey broke up with her boyfriend - a chat and some chocolate got her through the evening shift. Be warned though, people will start thinking you've got Mary Poppins’ handbag and can produce anything on request! Speaking of handbags,

9) Carry things in your non-dominant hand.

Feels weird at first but always gives you the opportunity to shake hands with someone. Sometimes people don’t know what to do when they meet you so make it easy and initiate a handshake.? As my granddad always says “Firm friendships can be built on a firm handshake.” and in some ways it feels like a non-verbal cue of equality.

And finally,

10) Remember, you have 47 Mondays a year to decide who you are, how you work & why you make a difference.

Time is our most valuable currency. 52 weeks in a year minus 5 weeks holiday is a maximum of 47 weeks at work. 47 Mondays is my way of remembering this.?Like most, I only realised how important time is when I had to come to terms with the fact I might not have much time left. I have to warn you, this is where it gets personal and a little difficult to talk.

When I was 13 I spent a long time in hospital with a rare form of meningitis, coupled with infections I picked up as my immune system failed.?

I learned then that time is paradoxical:?I had so much time to sit, read & think yet so little time because I knew I might die. Steve Jobs said “living like I might die tomorrow is the best way I know how to prioritise.” Believe me, it’s true.?As I prepared for the worst, I knew what mattered most. Like Dame Stephanie Shirley, I wanted to make mine a life worth saving, to surround myself with people I admired and respected and to do meaningful work that really mattered.

That's why I chose to work in the energy industry in the first place - because for me energy sits at the heart of the Gregorian Knot of humanity's problems and truly authentic leadership is one way we enable the extraordinary levels of collaboration and commitment need to make real transformation happen - for individuals, teams, organisations, countries and humanity.

So what have I learnt in my 3 years at BP? These 10 lessons are easier said than done. Tackle the nagging task first; really listen to honest feedback; never under-estimate the power of the coffee machine or chocolate in your working life; ask questions; own your mistakes even if it’s just you're carrying bags in the wrong hand; That people will forget what you said, they’ll forget what you did but they will never forget how you made them feel because life is all about relationships,… and you have 47 Mondays a year to decide:

Who you are, how you work & how?do you make a difference?

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