Grabbing Opportunities, Growing, and Exploring With Passion: Finding My Voice as a Quality Manager

Dealing with change in your professional life can be challenging, but there is no avoiding it. As Catherine Ramos, Quality Manager at nVent, tells us, “change is the only permanent thing in the world, but it’s sometimes difficult to adapt to changes — especially when we’re used to doing things the ‘old way’ for a long time.”

So, how can we overcome this challenge? For Ramos, “having the right attitude and being flexible helped me to overcome my resistance to change, especially when it’s something I can’t control,” she explains. “I must learn to embrace the change.” That is important because having an optimistic attitude and operating with positive energy is integral to maintaining the innovative culture at nVent. 

One trick to ensure that you’re facing change head-on is to always answer “I will” instead of “I’ll try” when asked to do something new, Ramos tells us. In this way, you’re setting yourself up for success! 

Here, we spoke with Ramos about her work, her interests, how her changing job keeps her on her toes, and how she’s found her passion throughout it all. She believes in being bold and authentic — and helping to build a more sustainable and electrified world. Read on to learn more…

To begin, please describe your current job.

I currently belong to the Thermal Management business segment of nVent, which supports projects & services with heat tracing solutions and services. I’ve been with the company for 11 years. Each day is different from one to the next — since there’s no “typical day” in my role, it keeps things interesting.

Like most people, I start the day by looking at my inbox, flagging emails according to priority, and ensuring that I reply even if I don’t have an immediate answer. That gives the sender the assurance that I’m working on it and will get back to them as soon as possible.

On a non-typical day, I might be more involved in responding to quality-related requirements of requests for quotes. There could also be a day when the focus is on reviewing the status of the non-conformances and corrective actions. Or, I might be busy facilitating meetings with leadership.

On a busy day, I might need to help a colleague with quality management system processes.  Meanwhile, there could be a very important day focused on customer satisfaction where I follow up on customer feedback and coordinate with the appropriate stakeholders to ensure that we’re prioritizing the consumer’s needs and voice.

You clearly have a dynamic role! What resources and tools do you rely on to attain work-life balance?

I don’t have specific resources I rely on to get on to attain work-life balance. Instead, there are multiple resources from every corner. 

I believe that I’m living life in balance, which is mainly due to the flexibility that we have at  nVent. Yes, I work hard, but I do have time to play hard as well. I’m a Zumba instructor on the side. This is my “me time,” where I can share my passion for dancing and create a positive vibe for all the people who join my class. Zumba keeps my energy and positivity high, and I can bring that feeling to work.

I once read that “if you want to be healthier, hang out with your friends.” It is essential for a healthy life — and just as important as eating or sleeping well. So, I make sure I go out with friends because this increases my sense of belonging and purpose.

Speaking of purpose, how have you found your own purpose, passion, and voice at work?

My passion for quality at work gives me the purpose to produce an output that benefits both the business and the customer.

I also listen to my peers. I believe that when you listen, you’re giving yourself a great opportunity to be heard, and that means better output.

What advice do you have for others who are looking for their passion or voice at work? 

When there’s an opportunity, grab it and give it your best effort. Let yourself explore with passion, discover where success lies, and be happy and productive at work. 

What advice do you have for someone new to a company?

Find time to learn about the organization. This will help you understand who to go to when you need to know something in a department, as well as the stakeholders you may need to contact and communicate with. Knowing the right person to go to will lessen the time it will take you to search for answers to questions you’ll have.

Finally, let’s talk about nVent’s culture. What’s your favorite aspect of it, and how does nVent help you succeed?

Our Win Right Values and the Spark management system are the foundation of our culture. nVent has six Win Right Values:

1. Customer First

2. Accountability for Performance

3. Innovation and Adaptability 

4. Positive Energy

5. Respect

6. Teamwork

And the five elements of Spark are:

1. People

2. Growth

3. Lean Enterprise

4. Digital

5. Velocity

It’s important to me that my behavior is consistently measured because this will guide me toward maintaining a “winning” attitude. This is part of the Win Right Values: every employee’s performance is reviewed with their manager twice a year. 

Meanwhile, Spark is the basis of goals and objectives for each employee. To me, this ensures the alignment of each employee’s work to a common goal focused on the growth of individuals, the growth of the company’s products and services, the pursuit of excellence by eliminating waste, digitization, and increasing speed in everything that we do. 

In addition, our company has a number of employee resource groups (ERGs) that are formed by employees with a shared interest, background, or experience. These ERGs provide education, networking, personal and professional development, and business opportunities for employees at all levels. 

Want to find your passion and grow your career at a company that will support you? Employees at nVent are bold, authentic, and helping to build the future of a more sustainable and electrified world. We would love for you to join our team! Explore opportunities at nVent below.