What smart women do to rise to the top of their careers
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SINGAPORE — The Republic may be a modern, meritocratic society, but we still have a long way to go to ensure women have an equal opportunity to succeed in the workplace.
According to the Singapore Workforce, 2014 report, women typically earn over 10 per cent less than men in every occupation, with the exception of clerical and support jobs. Females also make up just 9.7 per cent of directors in listed firms.
Even more shocking, according to a study by the National University of Singapore’s business school’s centre for governance, institutions and organisations, these female directors can earn as little as 54.4 per cent of what their male counterparts are making.
While its crucial to call for government bodies and companies to take action, we also need to start being the change we want to see.
Three successful women here shared what smart women should do to realise their fullest potential in the workplace.
TJIN LEE (founder and managing Director of Mercury Marketing & Communications, co-founder of CRIB and Trehaus)
Q: What do you think are some obstacles that could limit women in the workplace?
A: Women are often held back by lack of self confidence and are afraid to ask for the promotion or that raise — something which their male counterparts have no qualms about. Women also sometimes question their inability to step up or take on increased responsibility, and this hesitation can be perceived by managers, who then pass them over for that all-important promotion or next step in career growth.
Q: What obstacles have you personally faced? What were the steps you took to overcome them?
A: I suffered from lack of confidence, like many women do at the start of their careers. It was only after years of stellar performance that I slowly (and almost grudgingly!) recognised that I was among the best in my field. That sense of positive self-awareness gave me the confidence to excel in pitches and presentations, which translates of course into company growth and performance. It’s a growth cycle: Confidence helps you achieve success, and success helps you boost confidence. Just get on that growth wheel!
Q: What are some practices women themselves should adopt to achieve success?
A: Don’t try to do everything all of the time. You can do anything, but not everything. Choose your tasks, don’t stretch yourself too thin, and let go of perfectionism to grow.
Q: You co-founded two women-centric businesses — Trehaus and CRIB. What motivated you to set up these enterprises?
A: Motherhood. I believe in empowering women through entrepreneurship. So many believe they cannot find that balance between work and family, but being an entrepreneur gave me the flexibility to prioritise my family and create a work-life balance that suited me. I wanted to share this with more women, to inspire and encourage them to be open to entrepreneurship. At Trehaus, it’s so rewarding to see families bond and spend invaluable family time in our unique co-working space with family friendly facilities.
I am also a big believer in having strong female role models and mentors. It helps young women with confidence and growth to have access to women mentors and role models who have succeeded. This is part of the CRIB Eco-system which I enjoy the most!
ROSALINE CHOW KOO (Founder and CEO of ConneXionsAsian)
Q: What do you think are some obstacles that could limit women in the workplace?
A: The biggest obstacle limiting women is balancing career with motherhood.
Q: As a leader, how do you empower women to achieve more?
A: Fifty-five per cent of my leadership team is female and we now have over 200 employees. What I try to do is to give people roles that stretch their capabilities and also fits with the stage they are in their lives, as well as personal desires, whether they are just starting their careers, having kids, wanting to work in different countries, ready for people-management or taking care of their parents.
Q: What can corporations do to empower and encourage women to take up leadership roles?
A: Most women I know underestimate their own abilities and need to be 100% sure of success before taking on difficult roles that are out of their comfort zone.
I was fortunate to have worked for corporations that had diversity targets and practices that nurtured and developed female talent while also being flexible with maternity and childcare policies. What’s also needed are practices to get women back on board into the corporate world after they takes years off to raise their children.
CATE GUTOWSKI (vice president of Commercial Digital Thread at General Electric (GE) Digital)
Q: What do you think are some obstacles that could limit women in the workplace?
A: I believe that the only glass ceiling that exists is the one we accept. If we don’t accept that there is a glass ceiling, then it doesn’t exist. However, I do believe that if you don’t see yourself “on the same path” as other women ahead of you then it can be difficult to advance your career, because it doesn’t feel possible.
We often don’t know what we are capable of until we see it in others who we admire, and the more we can share our stories, the more we can connect and inspire each other. I believe this is how we can give the next generation of female leaders the confidence they need to push forward, and achieve their dreams.
Q: What are some challenges you have personally faced?
A: I remember early in my career, when I working in a technical sales role in GE Energy Connections, that I would regularly attend meetings where I was the only woman in the room. It was very uncomfortable. At that time, that I didn’t see a lot of women who I could emulate. I was seeking out role models who “had it all” — a successful marriage, children, and “dual careers”.
Q: What is storytelling?
General Electric spearheaded the If You Can See It, You Can Be It”: Leadership through Storytelling global initiative to help female leaders learn the art of strategic storytelling — the ability to tell the right story, at the right time, in the right place in order to motivate others to take action. We believe storytelling is the ideal tool to enhance leadership skills, as successful storytellers have the ability to influence and inspire both internal and external stakeholders.
A good story can help influence and inspire others to take action. People follow people; people don’t follow a PowerPoint presentation. If you want people to follow you, you have to connect and inspire, and stories are the best way to do that.
First, it gives women the skills they need to build deeper connections with customers and team members.
In addition, GE believes that diverse teams are the best teams, and keeping women in the workplace through every life stage is critical to helping us do that.
In the spirit of “If You Can See It, You Can Be It”, we are sharing our expansive collection of authentic stories featuring strong, female leaders and the challenges they’ve faced and overcome. Now that we’re sharing these stories online and in social channels – any professional women looking for positive role models for success in the workplace can access the material.
Q: How has storytelling helped women achieve more in their careers?
A: I recently received a note from one of our employees at GE Aviation in Australia who decided to accept a promotion that her Managers were discussing with her after seeing one of the videos. She told me that before she had dismissed the idea because she didn’t think she could handle it, along with her three children, but after seeing several of the videos on You Tube, she realised that she was selling herself short. I was so happy when I heard this… this is what our initiative is all about, it’s about empowering and inspiring women to realise that they can do — or be — anything.
A version of this story first appeared on ELLE.sg