Dreamers & Makers

On the occasion of World Day for Cultural Diversity, we talk about diversity, equality and inclusion with Ophelia Bajari.

Ophelia, tell us a little bit about yourself, your background, your professional career…

I’m a structural engineer currently based in Toronto, but I have lived and worked in the US, Canada and the UK. I have spent the majority of my career delivering analysis and design on complex, large-scale underground transportation infrastructure, transit stations, sport stadia, and digital strategies in technical delivery. I’ve really been fortunate to have had the opportunity to work on demanding and exciting projects across the globe, including the Lusail Stadium in Qatar used in the 2022 FIFA World Cup and the incredibly transformative Riyadh Metro project. It is because I have worked on diverse teams that I have had the exposure that’s shaped my knowledge and skills so diversely.  

Currently with Sener, I am a Project Director focused on multi-discipline civil transit projects. From my experience I bring intricate knowledge of the P3 projects, particularly knowledge of the local Canadian market and Contract Advisory support. Sener is involved in several legacy projects in the Canadian market and has expanded its visibility and household name here in a relatively short amount of time. It’s an exciting future ahead for the growth in this region. 

You have worked in different countries and with different cultures. What are the challenges and advantages of working in a culture different from your own and in diverse teams?

With cultural differences come challenges that require an open mind and patience. Communication can pose a barrier beyond simply differences in language – communication style, formalities, non-verbal cues and body language. There are so many nuances to communication that can cause misunderstandings.  

I have also found that professional etiquette and habits can differ a lot between cultures which can make it challenging to fit in when it’s new and may at times even be opposed to the cultural norms you are accustomed to. Understanding much of which is based on cultural experience and learning to adapt to or at least understand differences helps a lot. 

I must credit working on teams with varying backgrounds and moving across regions as the strongest foundation to my technical understanding of the engineering I deliver and the ability to effectively communicate. A massive advantage to diverse teams, especially from different regions, is the amount of new or unique knowledge you are exposed to. My breadth of experience has increased through exposure to understanding the “how” and “why” of how others may think about topics. 

What have you learned and what advice would you give to people who embark on a professional project in a country other than their country of origin?

Don’t take yourself too seriously and be ready to laugh at yourself as you discover differences, particularly when a different language is involved. I’d also encourage approaching with some understanding of the culture you will be entering and remain open minded to all experiences; it will really enrich and shape you personally in ways you’d not expect. 

Overall, I have learned that there are no right ways to do anything. I have also learned that cultural background is as much if not more a driving force in people’s behaviour or how they approach their work than any shared educational theory or background like engineering. I have experienced ways of interacting and approaching project delivery that are vastly different looking at one region to another. Sometimes people will not see eye to eye or can misinterpret based on differing cultural leanings, but this is merely opportunity to enhance communication style and skills. 

Be open to change. Be open to discomfort. Be curious to understand. Embrace everything as a learning experience. 

Currently, four generations coexist in the same work space in companies, on the same teams. In your opinion, what can we learn from each other?

We are faced with many challenges including accelerating technology, increasingly unpredictable and extreme environmental events, and global disruptions in how people live. The advantage of knowledge sharing in all directions on multigenerational teams cannot be downplayed, these teams contain the collective knowledge to reach new heights of innovation.  

We are at a unique period right now where a team can have someone 40+ years experienced, possibly even a renowned global subject expert, working alongside a colleague born after 2000 newly into their career and who has only known the more recent period of accelerated automation, technology to enhance the ways every task can be managed and are open to question why we do what we do and in the ways we do without limiting their curiosity. 

The most powerful instrument we have to address challenges and push innovation is to include multiple, diverse perspectives and skillsets at the table to drive creative solutions and more rapidly. 

What advantages do you think this intergenerational coexistence offers?

Put simply, collective intelligence is greatest on diverse teams.  

As engineering consultants and technical specialists, we are tasked with incredible opportunities, and at times daunting responsibility, to shape the built environment around us which has cascading impacts onto everyone interacting with it for generations to come. Teams will approach solutions and design to their own experiences so inclusive diversity is key – people with different backgrounds bring different perspectives resulting in more creativity, better innovation, less bias, and more importantly, are more resilient to embrace disruptive change as a team and solve problems rapidly. 

An environment with intergenerational teams offers more human-centered design approach inherently, when effectively managed. By embracing differing expectations, perspectives, lived experiences and professional experiences an environment is created that inspires creativity and integrated problem-solving. 

This year’s theme is ‘Building the future of work through inclusion and diversity’, what do you think we can do on an individual level to create more inclusive work environments?

Delivering the built environment begins with the people. I’ve experienced that getting the diversity is the much easier part, it’s keeping diversity that can be the challenge without nurturing the inclusion part. Inclusive environments are a sum of all the individuals engaging. I think on an individual level inclusion can be fostered in a few small, but impactful ways. 

• Listen more and seek to understand. We all have a unique background that brings value in that uniqueness. 
• Recognize the value of differences and find opportunities to integrate them. 
• Understand different communication style and try to be flexible with them. 
• Be open to diverse working styles and preferences. 
• Challenge stereotyping and bias. 
• Challenge the mantra that “things have always been done this way” or “this is typical.”  
• Don’t assume, communicate only and transparently to allow everyone to feel respected and that their viewpoints can be shared.