What A Director Of Operations At A Carbon Sequestration Company Wishes They Had Known Before Entering The Climate Tech Industry
Emilie, a Director of Operations in the climate tech industry, advises that success requires embracing a mindset of "giving away your Legos"—sharing responsibilities to enable growth—and establishing strong boundaries to avoid burnout, noting that "it can be really hard to…turn off your computer and have dinner with your family" without proactively setting limits.
Project Management, Leadership, Stress Management, Work-Life Balance, Resilience
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Emilie Wood
Director of Operations
Carbon Sequestration Company
UC Santa Barbara
n/a
Environmental & Related Sciences
Climate, Environment, Sustainability & Waste Management
Operations and Project Management
Honors Student
Video Highlights
1. Giving away your Legos: In startups, you might need to hand off projects (Legos) to others as your role evolves. This signifies success and opens opportunities for new challenges.
2. Setting boundaries: It's crucial to maintain a work-life balance, especially in a demanding field like climate tech. Setting boundaries early on prevents burnout and allows for a sustainable career.
3. Passion for climate action: The industry attracts individuals passionate about environmental issues, creating a fulfilling but demanding work environment. Self-care is essential for long-term success and avoiding burnout
Transcript
What have you learned about this role that you wish someone would've told you before you entered the industry?
There are two things that come to mind. One is the concept of giving away your Legos. I'm not sure if everyone listening is familiar with that, but especially in startups, there's this idea that you have a pile of Legos and you build something really cool.
The building you're working on in this Lego world is growing and changing. Then someone comes in, and you have to give them your Legos because there are other Legos for you to build with. This ties into having enough versus a scarcity model of thinking about work.
I think some of the most fun times at work are when you're giving away your Legos to someone else and you're about to get some new things to build with and play with. It means you're doing a good job. It's not a bad thing if you have to give away your Legos.
The second thing is setting boundaries. Working in the climate tech space is really empowering, and people come to it because they care about the earth. But if you feel like your job is so important that if you don't do a good job, the earth is in trouble, it can be hard to turn off your computer and have dinner with your family.
If you don't set those boundaries early on, it can be easy to get burned out. You have to take care of yourself; you can't pour from an empty cup. Being able to set those boundaries and have a long, successful career in climate is a skill I wish I had been practicing a little earlier in my own career.