An audience of 65 gathered for the Women in Industry panel discussion at the Ikon on Monday night. It was the second such event organised by Northparkes Mines, which brought together three professional women who share a passion for inspiring others to succeed.
Parkes-own Helen Magill spoke about her role as a professional coach for Tennis Australia. In 2012, she became the first female to receive the Excellence in Coaching award.
Chandra Clements, the Managing Director of consultancy service One Legacy, joined Helen on the panel. In 2014 Chandra was awarded the Gold Stevie for Woman of the Year.
Also on the panel was lawyer Samantha Daly, a part-time partner for law firm Mc– Cullough Robertson, and recipient of the NSW Women in Mining Award.
The riveting discussion delved into topics such as the importance of mentoring in professional and personal relationships, risk taking and resilience, and maximising talent through workplace flexibility.
Helen shared insights into how sport participation fosters resilience. She noted that the pressures of living in a small town were different to those in a city. In a small town both victories and failures become more public, and she sees that it is vital that kids learn it is okay to fail. Helen says it is more important to help people reach their full potential than to aim for perfection.
Chandra discussed the importance of risk taking. She explained how fear underpins risk aversion, and that it is important to unpack that fear in order to discover what is really holding us back.
Samantha, a mother of twins, explained how vital flexible work arrangements are to advancing workplace equality. She stressed that although it is seen as a chick’s issue, men need to be given the same opportunities because mothers aren’t the only workers juggling life.
By Raen Fraser