It seems that the time for women in business to shine is becoming more and more evident. With issues such as skills shortages, recruitment, attraction and retention, talent management and an overall increase in the level of business competition, companies need to focus on diversity in order to stay ahead of the pack in a sustainable way
By Melissa Yen
It seems that the time for women in business to shine is becoming more and more evident. With issues such as skills shortages, recruitment, attraction and retention, talent management and an overall increase in the level of business competition, companies need to focus on diversity in order to stay ahead of the pack in a sustainable way.
There are certain things that successful women have in common. In reviewing the winners of the Queensland, New South Wales and Victorian Telstra Business Women’s Awards, and in reading this issue’s women@thetop contribution by Glenda Didier –winner of one of the major categories of the Building Commission’s Continuing Professional Development Awards and co-owner and co-director of the GJ Constructions Group – it is clear that these women recognise their own strengths and talents. In doing so, they grew and become more confident in their own strengths on their journeys.
As women who have recognised their passions and moved from job to job and industry to industry, it is evident that passion is not enough. It is about what you can actually bring to the table and effectively execute on. Women who can do this have succeeded in developing and demonstrating business acumen and entrepreneurship.
As Didier explains, it was her belief in the female ability to assemble, create, organise, raise and produce that enabled her to conquer a male-dominated industry. For her, it was all about the “point of difference” that being a woman in the construction industry could bring.
Whether it is getting an initiative on the agenda, further developing your own career and skill set (as highlighted in the feature “From the office to the classroom” on page 14) or helping others find their own point of difference, HR has both an important role to play and an important lesson to learn from these women.
On that note, as part of my own journey to discovering my “point of difference” I would like to take this opportunity to bid you farewell as I move to another stage of my career beyond Human Resources magazine. It has been a pleasure and I wish you all the best.
