Grace Talma – still a powerhouse, always a mentor

At 73 years old Talma is still very much a powerhouse and there is no slowing her down. Her drive and work ethic are innate forces that have energised her from strength to strength. She said that she is in the mentoring stage of her life. “Throughout my life one of the things I have to do is to initiate, to find ways of having a vision that allows me to help to be a catalyst. To ensure that people and projects can develop.”

She explained that she relishes being at the centre of everything. Talma founded the Rape Crisis Centre, the United Nations Association of Trinidad and Tobago (UNATT), the National Secretaries Association (NSA) which is now the National Association of Administrative Professionals (NAAP) and she is a board member of the Family Planning Association. She was recently honoured by the NAAP for her outstanding work and commitment over the years.

As she reflected on her younger years growing up in Point Fortin, Talma recalled how the atmosphere of the oil field industry shaped her aspirations. Her father was the head of the oil refinery, so she and her three siblings lived on the Petrotrin compound. Talma said that the sound of the bell that rang out at timed intervals, instilled in them the values of determination and discipline. “I believe the oil fields gave us a kind of discipline. We organised our lives by listening to the whistle.”

Talma attended the Point Fortin Primary School where she was tutored by the author of the “Student’s Companion”, WD Best. “I guess I was one of his guinea pigs. But the book had a lot of vocabulary, quotes, prose and so forth. It really helped students to strive to be well versed.”

She won a scholarship to Bishop’s Anstey High School in Port-of-Spain and explained that the life of a border living away from home taught her to become self-reliant and focused.

After finishing secondary school, Talma worked briefly at CLICO. She then set her sights on tertiary education and left for Canada where she pursued her undergraduate studies in Organizational Development at the University of Western Ontario.

There, she became an active member in the Foreign Students Association. Later she would be elevated to president. “I thought it was necessary for foreign students to understand the culture

of Canada. It was important for them not to feel out of place and to understand how to become acculturated.”

When she returned to Trinidad, she was hired by the Management Development Centre, which was partially owned by the government of Trinidad and Tobago. She spent 12 years at the organisation working as a Human Resource Advisor.

“Coming from Canada, it gave me a broadened perspective and allowed me to analyse things critically. In those early days, what I did was not called Human Resources. It was called Personnel Management which is really a focus on procedures. Whereas Human Resources works not only at an operational level, but also involves strategic planning that links the roles of the employees to the development goals of the company. So the work I did at the Management Development Centre gave me the foundation for going into human development, organisational change and organisational development.”

She succeeded in a career even though she was surrounded by men in the working environment. “Being the only woman in a group of men, we were still not being seen in our full roles, in terms of the partnership we could provide in the business world. At that time, women were not getting to the top as they are now. But I think I always considered myself as an equal.”

During those years, Talma explained, her leadership, management and decision-making skills flourished in a competitive atmosphere. “I did a lot of upgrading of my own self. I attended a UN Fellowship at the East West Centre in Hawaii. That was the same institution that US President Barack Obama’s mother attended. So it was continuous training and, for me, that is what my life has always been about. You never stop.”

She said that self confidence, having a clear-cut vision, the ability to tolerate differences, the ability to communicate, being passionate and understanding your own power and how to share that power is the key to succeeding in the work environment. “For me, what was important was having the skills and then being able to demonstrate my capability. I tried to work smart and get there.”

She obtained a Master’s Degree in Human Resources from Springfield College in Massachusetts, USA. Talma now conducts a master’s programme as an adjunct professor of the Springfield College in the United States. Students from across the Caribbean fly to Trinidad every other month for discourses and projects towards the completion of a Master’s in Human Services with a concentration on Organisational Management and Leadership.

She went on to establish her consultancy firm, Grace Talma and Company Limited, which began its work in 1981 and works with both public and private sector companies. “I truly enjoy helping people to plot out their own world, helping them to fulfill their lives. It all comes down to caring about people’s development.”

She explained that her work relies on partnering: “We don”t work alone anymore, we work in teams. So what we do is bring a consulting team together with consultants that are specific to the needs of the company. So there are those who specialise in Organisational Behaviour, Information Systems, Human Resources, Psychology and Change Management.”“I have found a link between successful leadership is social organisations and that leadership in the business environment. I saw a balance that benefits both spheres of life. So I always tell young people to volunteer. There also needs to be an interest in development issues. I want the legacy that I leave to be of how many lives I have touched.”

Talma was focused on professional pursuits while she put her personal life on hold. She married late in life, but the relationship ended in divorce a few short years later. They are still good friends. Nevertheless, Talma is contented and feels fulfilled with her career, volunteer work and her close ties to her family.