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