Q&A with Ebony Sharman

I caught up with the amazing Ebony Sharman, VIC General Manager for Women in Design and Construction and Project Director at Essence Project Management. When I first met Ebony, I had the feeling you get when you catch up with a good friend you haven't seen in a while. Her presence would make anyone feel comfortable and welcomed. She's relatable, she's a hype-woman, and her honesty will leave you feeling motivated and inspired.

Q: Coffee order

Ebony: Oat Latte. That's a new thing, the oat.

Q: Favourite lunch spot in Melbourne

Ebony: Soi 38, it's a little Thai noodle place in the Bourke Street Carpark. It's little, it's cheap and you will be sitting on plastic chairs but it's great.

Q: What made you want to work in architecture?

Ebony: I always liked architecture and thought I would study to become an architect, but then after about 6 months I realised it was not for me. My appreciation was not in the designing part, it was more going on site and interacting with people, so you can see why I ended up studying project management. I realised then that being a project manager would suit my personality and meet my interest of being in the built environment. I love working with people and where I am now in my career there's even more of those interactions, as I'm leading a team and working closely with clients.

Q: Do you feel like there's power in being a female in our industry?

Ebony: I think there is now, I think there is a change happening for the better. Being in a senior role, there really is two elements; it's empowering younger women but also showing an example to others and that's where the change is.

There is power in influence, I think that's the biggest power right now. When you talk about power and think about the power that men have in our industry, we're not there yet. There's not enough of us in senior executive roles, and that's where the change happens. The real powerful change is when you have women in executive roles who understand things differently and see the world differently. I feel like it is about influence now, which will ultimately result in equal ‘power’.

Q: Do you think that being a State Manager with WIDAC has influenced or impacted you professionally and/or personally?

Ebony: It is probably more personal, as it is something that I have wanted to do for a long time. Being a woman in this industry is a big achievement as well as being someone who has had success and is doing well. I'm known as a good operator, and I have tried to not be that 'tough person' conceptually. I have managed to be myself in this industry and that's important to me; To think that I'm setting an example to be yourself and that to be successful you do not have to be what you think you need to be or match your counterparts.

I’ve changed in the past year, and I do things more for myself and what I want in my life right now. A big part of that is that my work supports me to do it. Previously I was part of the community and felt like I was always too busy, and now I'm busier than ever but I'll make time for it and I'm making it work.

I know it has career benefits, like I've got exposure to the industry and that comes with such a public-facing role. But the impact is definitely personal, it's something I wanted to do and it happened at the right time in being a part of coming back to Melbourne after being away for 18 months, so I had to just take it and put myself out there.

Q: What's your favourite conversation starter at a networking event and were you nervous when you first started attending?

Ebony: I think when I first started networking, it was probably easier because I was doing it as a group and you kind of huddle as a group and you get through it. I've been to a few things by myself and even though I'm an extrovert person, when you don't know anyone in the room, it's really daunting. I think my conversation starters are usually boring like, 'Why are you here? What do you do?' Or if there's a topic for example, I usually bring that up like 'What interests you about the topic?'.

I guess my other thing is that I try find someone I do know who is speaking to other people. You can then just say 'Hey' and push yourself in but that's also not for everyone, I think that comes with practice. I was lucky in terms of networking because I always did it in a team or but then you get used to the environment, and what you end up working out is that everyone is in the same boat, they are all nervous and everyone is outside of their comfort zone.

Something that helped ease me into it, was actively doing it. If there were tickets for something, I would be like I'm there and just buy myself tickets, and you can just have fun with it.

Q: What advice would you give your younger self?

Ebony: Honestly, like I said before, try and remain true to yourself. Know the things that are important to you and do not be what other people need you to be. You will end up in a place that is not meant for you, especially your mental space.

I've always been quite headstrong in that. I've grown as a person over the years, but I've always known what I wanted and what I do not want, and I've always chased that. My dad once said to me, 'Don't ever stay somewhere where you are not happy’, and he said that to me when I was a very young age.

Particularly in this industry right now, there are other industries that are not thriving and there are people stuck in jobs because there are not ten other jobs that they can go to tomorrow. We are very lucky in our industry, it's important to also check our privilege.

The Common Thread:

The common thread for me is the importance of being true to yourself in everything you do. There's a saying that you get out what you put in - so if you're expressing your authentic self, chances are that the type of people, companies and business you attract will share the same values and goals.