The future calls for development

She had been a health and safety representative for ten years when she was invited to be a union representative four years ago. She had to think about it. But she quickly realised that the activities in health and safety and her passion for job satisfaction and motivation could easily be combined with a role as a union representative along with a new and increased focus on colleagues’ rights and their future opportunities.

“It was a new forum for me to get into, and I didn’t know very much about either the position or the cooperation with the management. Now I’ve been doing it for four years, and one of the things that surprised me most is how much the union representative is actually listened to and how open the dialogue and tone is with the management. ”

And it means a lot for Maria Sangild Mathiesen to be listened to, because she invests a lot of her time and energy in the cases she is involved in. And she also invests a lot of energy in getting colleagues to invest in their future.

“People can have a tendency to get a little stuck in what they’re familiar with, but our industry is characterised by constant change and development, so we as employees also have to develop.”

That is why Maria Sangild Mathiesen often beats the drum for her colleagues to educate themselves and get coaching from a career consultant.

“We want to put our best selves forward and be as close to indispensable as possible, and we should have the courage to look at and talk about the direction we want to go in. How can we make sure that the individual is in a job they are satisfied with and that also makes them feel happy and comfortable? I think it’s important to focus on that and that’s a way I can help make a difference.”