LISA

THORNTON

3 WORDS TO DESCRIBE ME
Genuine. Thoughtful. Patient.

TEA OR COFFEE?
TEA!

WHAT DID YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU WERE GROWING UP?

A librarian.

WHAT WERE YOU LIKE AT SCHOOL?

I was a swot who was also good at sports.

WHAT DID YOU FIND DIFFICULT?

Other kids were not always kind.

When I became a team leader early in my career, I found myself managing people who were older and more experienced than me. Not everyone was happy about it, and some people tested the boundaries. It was tough, and at the start I didn’t feel confident or comfortable.

I was relatively young, still learning, and there were times when I felt out of my depth and wondered if I was good enough.

What helped me keep going was reminding myself that my manager believed I was ready for the role, even when I doubted myself. That trust helped me build my confidence, keep going through the difficult days and prove to myself that I was capable of doing the job.

WHAT DO I ACTUALLY DO?

My workday generally starts at 8:30am, after I’ve walked the dog. I often go into the office each morning and work from home in the afternoon.

I catch up with my team first, then check my emails. Throughout the day, I join lots of virtual calls on different subjects and work on various documents, such as creating PowerPoint presentations or updating project plans in Excel.

No two days are the same. I help people and teams navigate change, solve problems and keep important projects moving forward, while dealing with the unexpected along the way.

The best part of my job is the variety. There’s always something new to learn, which keeps the job interesting and rewarding.

Something that might surprise people about my job is that I get to work with lots of different people around the world.

MY ADVICE

IT’S OKAY TO ASK FOR HELP.

Nobody succeeds on their own, and asking questions is often one of the quickest ways to learn and grow.

TAKE A CHANCE.

Don’t be afraid to take a chance on something you’re not completely certain about. Some of the biggest opportunities come from stepping outside your comfort zone and giving something a go.

DON’T LET NEGATIVE VOICES HOLD YOU BACK.

Listen to advice from people you trust and respect, but don’t let negative voices stop you from trying new things or believing in yourself.

INTERESTED IN A CAREER IN PROGRAMME MANAGEMENT?

GET EXPERIENCE WORKING WITH DIFFERENT PEOPLE
Join a club, volunteer, help organise an event or be part of a team. A lot of my job is about bringing people together to solve problems, and those skills can start developing at any age.

BUILD YOUR COMMUNICATION SKILLS
The ability to listen, work with different people and explain your ideas clearly will help you in almost every job and every part of life.

THE MYTH?
That you have to know all the answers.

The reality is, I don’t. A big part of my job is asking questions, bringing the right people together and figuring out the answer as a team. Nobody knows everything.

REMEMBER: “It’s okay to ask for help. Nobody succeeds on their own.”