Words from the Wise – Val Carter
Val Carter, Corporate responsibility and training director, Aramark, shares her business secrets
Build a strong network Take the time to get to know people across all parts of the business in different job roles. This will help you have a broader understanding of the impact programmes will have and will also create an invaluable support framework for you to champion the cause.
Without doubt, what helps me most of all is that I know a lot of people and they know me. We help each other out like one big family.
Draw from experiences from your entire career Every experience you have is a valuable one, whether it is good or bad. Particularly as you climb the career ladder, reflect back to your more junior roles, as this will help you make the right decisions for the team and keep you grounded. Each experience will be able to help you to develop your present role further.
Get to know your team If you understand what makes your team tick, both inside and outside of work, you are more likely to be able to motivate and get the best out of them. Try spending quality time with your people and be genuinely interested - you'll be amazed what you find out!
Tackle problems head on and quickly If you know something is going wrong, grab it quickly and deal with it in an honest, open and professional way. Put your energy into fixing the problem rather than into worrying about how to tackle it. Evaluate the situation and determine the most effective course of action.
Don't dwell on your mistakes One thing is for sure, everything will not always go to plan. Reflect and learn from these mistakes but don't let them weigh you down. Others will have forgotten about them long before you have and dwelling on your past mistakes will only affect your work in the present. Try and focus on your strengths and the opportunities in the future instead.
best piece of advice ever
"You're only as good as your weakest team member." This was said to me early in my career by the general manager at the Britannia hotel in Manchester, while I was having a heart against head dilemma about a team member that was underperforming. I am very privileged to have a fantastic team and any success we have is a result of our collective hard work.
CV HIGHLIGHTS
1986 HND in Hotel and Catering Management at Leeds Polytechnic
â- 1988-92 Britannia Hotels
â- 1992 - present (with a three-year gap in the middle at Compass Group) Aramark
Business motto Have a go. My career has been incredibly varied within the industry and I've often picked up roles that I know nothing about technically. If you know your business, understand your people and have the drive to succeed, you'll get there and will be all the better for it. Continuous learning is always a good thing.
