After the session, the panellists took on more questions via e-mail:
What advice would you give your younger self regarding charting your career progress — are there areas you wish you had focused more on? What can companies do to support the development of younger staff?
Ms Chew: I was very lucky, in that I was in the right place at the right time. I learnt about corporate finance when it was nascent in Singapore’s economic development. I think that young people today should learn about developments in the world around us, particularly in science. They should learn to understand how finance, politics, and technology work and how they are changing our lives. We should also be mindful of the fast-changing geopolitical environment that we live in.
Companies should invest in training, and the reality is most companies do. The challenge for companies is how to ensure that the training is effective, and to set up structures whereby there is good feedback between subordinate and supervisor so that one can learn both formally and informally.
Do you have advice for women who want to grow their family and have a successful career? What should women do to ensure that they can rise in the workforce but not have to sacrifice their time with their family?
Ms Foo: As Chair of BoardAgender, I remember that we collaborated with the Tripartite Alliance for Fair and Progressive Employment Practices (TAFEP) a number of years back and interviewed 25 successful women. We found that organisations can enable women to carve out a successful career. Apart from family support, organisations that intentionally groom talent, provide flexi-work arrangements, or are more accommodating can help on this front. There will be times where a woman has to spend more time at work because of her job requirements but she must also be disciplined to take a step back when the family requires attention. Another important point is to share caregiving duties with the spouse. The woman does not always have to ferry the children to classes or take them to the doctor.
Leading a company is a highly stressful endeavour – what do you do to relax, and to remain energised and focused throughout the day?
Ms Chew: The truth is I do not remain energised and focused throughout the day! The idea of a CEO who is never tired and stays energetic 24/7, 365 days a year is nonsense. We all need to recharge, and I do so by walking, reading, meeting up with friends, attending plays and concerts (before the circuit breaker), and exercising.
Ms Foo: When I know I am getting too stressed, I will hit the pause button. I paint and listen to music. Be still and reflect.
Do you have advice for women who want to grow their family and a successful career? What should women do to ensure that they can rise in the workforce but not have to sacrifice their time with their family?
Ms Chew: I am sorry to say I don’t think it is possible to rise in the workforce and not sacrifice at least some time with family. Realistically it is not possible to do everything and be a superwoman.
Perhaps the questions that you should ask yourself are, “What should I do such that I will be happy with the process and the outcome when I seek to find a balance between work and family? How far do I want to go in my work so that I will feel fulfilled? How much time should I spend with my family so that I will be happy with myself?”
What I’m trying to say is that each of us has a different definition of happiness and fulfilment and in choosing different goals, one has to make trade-offs. In an ideal world you can rise in the workforce without spending too much time at work, but this is very rarely possible.
I do believe, however, that it is possible to rise in the workforce to a level where you are happy and to spend sufficient time with your children such that you feel satisfied, and you believe that they are happy healthy and well adjusted.
What advice would you give to women who find themselves in situations of discrimination or who are uncomfortable with comments made by male colleagues at work?
Ms Foo: If you feel that you have been discriminated against or something has made you feel uncomfortable, it is important to be able to share these experiences with someone and not keep them to yourself. Use the whistleblowing avenue or if you are confident enough, speak directly to the person/people. Point out to them that the comments they have made are discriminatory or not relevant.
What advice do you have for women who are considering joining female empowerment-related groups in their organisations but who are afraid that it will negatively impact their career as may not want to be seen as an ‘activist’?
Ms Foo: Find out more about the groups that you are going to join. It is beneficial to join credible groups to learn, network, and to gain knowledge and support.
In your opinion, are there advantages of having a female leader?
Ms Chew: I think that there are advantages and disadvantages in any situation. On occasion, I have found that my male counterparts do not know how to deal with me. Sometimes it is an advantage as they are less harsh on me. Sometimes it is a disadvantage as they do not include me in deals as I’m not one of ‘the boys’. It can also be an “advantage” if they look down on me and underestimate me. Being a female leader I find that many young women turn to me for advice. It can be an advantage in that it provides me an opportunity to guide them but it can also be a disadvantage as there isn’t much I can do, since development and growth in the business or profession stems not from your gender but from your ability and character.
Ms Foo: Ironically, I find that it is more acceptable for women to show their authenticity… Somehow, when men get emotional, people pass comments about them being ‘theatrical’. Women can be assertive as well; you do not have to be male to be a leader.
Women are often labelled as ‘emotional’ or ‘needy’ – what advice do you have for women who tend to seek validation from external sources or who often let their emotions get the better of them?
Ms Chew: I would say that such a question is very unfair. There are men who are also emotional and needy and who need validation from external sources. People who let their emotions get the better of them, for example as a result of anger or impulsiveness, are no different from people who let distress get the better of them.
We often think of women as more emotional because they show their emotions more readily. Men can be equally emotional but they may keep a stiff upper lip. In many instances they may show their anger or frustration in other ways.
There is nothing wrong in feeling an emotion and it is healthy to do so. At times there is also nothing wrong in showing it. What is detrimental, not just in your career and in life, is when you let emotions get the better of you such that you end up doing things that you realise you should never have done.
And even then, very few things are irreversible. If you say something in anger, it is unfortunate but you can always apologise. If you have broken down in public, you can explain and move on.
What should women consider when they are planning for retirement? How can they ensure that they continue to contribute to society even after they have retired?
Ms Chew: I think this is not a question just for women but for all. The critical thing for retirement is to ensure that you have enough savings to live comfortably. There are plenty of financial planners who can assist but the critical question is how much do you need to live comfortably and to feel happy? This naturally will vary from person to person.
The second issue on retirement is how do you wish to occupy your time? “Do I wish to learn something new? Are there places that I wish to see? Are there people that I would like to help get to know better? Is there a job that I would like to do and try?”
Contribution to society need not be measured in dollars and cents. I think one can always contribute to society as long as one is alive. You can be a good friend, you can be a good mother or a good daughter. One can always contribute in so many ways, financially or non-financially, and I think it is beholden on each of us to figure out what makes us happy and what we can do to make the world a better place.
Ms Foo: A lot of women do not retire per se; instead they continue to help in the community. Women contribute a lot more to society through means such as unpaid caregiving, for example. Covid-19 has also shown the resilience of women who have been actively helping the disadvantaged by sewing masks or cooking.
To Ms Junie Foo: What were the challenges you faced when you made your career switch to the social services sector and how did you overcome them?
Ms Foo: Not knowing the sector required me to read up a lot and to personally experience the various services that we were delivering. I listened to my staff a lot and tried to understand things from their perspective to figure out if things could be done better. Although there were some things I did not know at first, I was eager and willing to learn, and did not think that I was better than anyone. Our tagline is ‘Let’s do good better’; I was blessed that the team was very welcoming of me and worked with me.