Name: Strong female mentors are essential to guide young and diverse talent
Uploaded: 2022-09-23T12:52:52.903Z
Duration: 699.07
Description: Today's talent pool is more diverse than ever, and with that comes a responsibility to keep that talent driven and engaged. Amber Hall talks about the importance of strong female mentors and good coaching to ensure young women feel supported and empowered in the workplace.

audio fix 1.vtt

English

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So I wanted to start off by asking you,
if we were to look 10 years down the

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line, what trend or innovation do you
forecast will be the biggest impact on

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consumers daily lives in the future?

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I think there are several, but I think
the one that will have the most impact

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is definitely around sustainability.

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We are seeing an immense amount of
change between people just saying,

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I need to recycle and do better in
my daily life, to, you know, having

{{00:00:34}}
this far more holistic perspective
about what sustainability means

{{00:00:37}}
and thinking about it on not
just on a global platform, but an

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individual platform of how do I show
up to be my best self every day?

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And then thinking about their community
and what role they play in that as

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well as, you know, on a global scale
saying it's more than just recycling.

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I want, you know, good health
and education for everyone.

{{00:00:58}}
I want equality everywhere.

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I want everyone to be paid well.

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So you're seeing sustainability
take on this form of, it's

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not just about recycling.

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It's about making the world a better
place on a more holistic level.

{{00:01:10}}
I think, you know, the conversation
around climate change will

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continue to, increase over time.

{{00:01:17}}
I think, you know, seeing things
like we're flying higher and

{{00:01:19}}
higher in the sky and we wear our
seatbelts more when we take off,

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and we're flying through turbulence.

{{00:01:26}}
I think that those things will
all become factors and people

{{00:01:29}}
will continue to be more conscious
about the choices that they make.

{{00:01:31}}
Certainly, you know, clean drinking
water and some of those things and

{{00:01:35}}
energy will always be a part of the
conversation, but I'm seeing more of

{{00:01:38}}
a conversation increase around making
sure that the products that people

{{00:01:43}}
use, that they're intentional and
they're thoughtful and it's not just

{{00:01:47}}
about buying something to buy it.

{{00:01:49}}
It's buying something that
really adds value to my life.

{{00:01:51}}
And so I think the value
proposition will continue to change.

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And a part of that
will be sustainability.

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Really interesting.

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Well, you're a woman
in a leadership role.

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And I'm curious, what degree do you
feel of responsibility that women

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should have in leadership roles towards
mentoring and sponsoring developing

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younger women into similar roles?

{{00:02:13}}
I think it's a huge
responsibility  for women.

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There's no shortage of data that
suggests the more diversity you have

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in leadership or in an organisation,
the better innovation outcome.

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Right?

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And the more growth..

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So that's been proven, but I think
from a women's perspective, the more

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of us that rise to the occasion and
take on leadership roles, I think

{{00:02:32}}
we do have a responsibility to
mentor, to sponsor and to advocate.

{{00:02:37}}
And what I've learned
through my own career is it's

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not just about mentoring.

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I think we have used that as a word to
kind of blanket everything, but that's

{{00:02:45}}
really not the only experience that
junior people need in an organisation.

{{00:02:49}}
They need women to advocate
for them in a meeting.

{{00:02:52}}
You know, and that is, you know, saying
the things that no one else wants to

{{00:02:55}}
say and speaking up for that person
when no one else wants to speak up.

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As well as, you know, mentoring
them behind closed doors and

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giving them the guidance.

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But where I find the biggest
need continually is sponsorship.

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Far and wide men get sponsored,
whether it be for education, promotion,

{{00:03:13}}
or just visibility, far greater
than women in an organisation.

{{00:03:18}}
So I think as women, I certainly feel
it's our responsibility to find other

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women and organisation to sponsor
them and to really lift them up.

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I have benefited from those
relationships in the past.

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I've had everything from a mentor
to an advocate, to a sponsor.

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And having those experiences
personally has made me realise,

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one, that representation is
extremely important when it comes

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to women, not just women, but women
of all colour and backgrounds.

{{00:03:46}}
But then, you know, advocacy through
an organisation can take you much

{{00:03:50}}
further sometimes than, you know what
guidance you get behind closed doors.

{{00:03:54}}
Because it's often what happens in
those rooms that you're not in with

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leaders that decisions get made.

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And so as a junior person, you just
don't have the line of sight to that.

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So having someone in the room of
a certain experience just enables

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you to see that and to get that
level of sponsorship faster.

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Couldn't agree more.

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And so perfectly sort of leading into
my next question, you mentioned a bit

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on how you have had in the past mentors
in all kinds of different capacities.

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Do you have maybe one kind of
brief anecdote about an impactful

{{00:04:31}}
learning experience that really
helped or changed your career?

{{00:04:35}}
Yeah, so, I had she was actually the
director in my function, but I didn't

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directly report to her at the time.

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And so, she was kind of all
three together really, which

{{00:04:45}}
was really interesting.

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So she helped kind of help me
navigate my career early on to say,

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what are some of the areas where
I can grow, be it in my current

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role or expanding and stretching.

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And then she also, you know, because
she had a seat at the table, she could

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share with me the conversations that
were being had and how I fit into that

{{00:05:09}}
and what I could do differently or
better or more of to help transform

{{00:05:13}}
my own growth professionally.

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Um, I think ultimately what I've
gained from that is really, it really

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comes down to that representation.

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I think one she's a black female and
I think being able to see someone

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in leadership that looks like me.

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I think you build that commonality and
it allows you to have a conversation

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that maybe sometimes you can't
have with others, but then also

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just having a woman in leadership,
she just had a certain level of

{{00:05:36}}
strength at the table when it came
to power of voice that otherwise

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probably wouldn't have been there.

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And I think I've benefited from
her being present professionally,

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because I certainly was able to grow.

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But then also on a personal
level, it created this sentiment

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in me that I need to continue
to give of myself to others.

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So I think it's this, I think it's
this, you know, the more you build

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those connections in an organisation,
it pulls you up, but you need to

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also then pull others up with you.

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Yeah.

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I love that.

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I think it shouldn't just stop
at, you know, you've been mentored

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and someone's helped you up, like
it should be a constant cycle.

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So, what are some of the strategies
that you think could help

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women achieve a more prominent
role in their organisations?

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Oh, that's a good question.

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I think part of it is if you think
about growing your career, it's a

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strategy at the end of the day, right?

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And so actually having a strategy,
actually having a plan I think is key.

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And I think there's a
couple of elements that make

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that strategy successful.

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One, knowing what you bring, knowing
what you, through your education

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or through your experience,
where you truly create value

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that someone else can't provide.

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And then saying, what are my areas of
growth that I need to really harness?

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And I find that the more junior
you are in career, the more okay

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it is to make mistakes, right?

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And to try and try and try again.

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So I have found with my own
career and for others, try more

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roles sooner rather than later.

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Because if you, when you're eager
and you're young, oftentimes that

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means there might not be a family
involved, there may just be more

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flexibility to travel or whatever.

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Go get those experiences.

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Because I find in organisations,
that's often what they assess you from

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is not just the education that you
bring, but the experiences that you

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have, that set you apart from others.

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And so for me, I recommend, you know,
know what you bring and exploit it.

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Because that's what you're good at.

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But on the other side, where you need
to grow, you need to find people within

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an organisation that are either willing
to let you work on a project or willing

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to let you take on a role where you
can grow and expand your capability,

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so that when they're comparing you
to someone else, they see you as a

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cross-functional multidisciplinary,
you know, thought leader within

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an organisation versus you kind of
built your expertise in this role.

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I think that there's something to
be said for, you know, experts who

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want to grow, you know, just up
the chain in that one field and

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that's totally fine, but I think
more and more because our consumer's

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dynamic and so is the product.

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You know, now becoming more dynamic,
I think the leaders have to too.

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And so I think the more you can
spend time having exposure to other

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parts of the business, one, it helps
you build empathy because then you

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could be a better business person
or business partner at the table.

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But then also I think strategically
when you're making tough decisions,

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you've thought about some of the
other aspects of the company that

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I believe make you a better leader.

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So those are kind of some of the things
that I think would be really important.

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Those are great strategies and sort
of pushing people to maybe not,

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as you said, it's fine if people
want to sort of stay in that lane.

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I think for many people who, especially
our younger, maybe they don't quite

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know, they know they want to get
to that position, but how exactly?

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So it's kind of helpful to know
that you think hopping around

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isn't necessarily a bad thing.

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No, and I think, you know, you
need to build an understanding.

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So, you know, part of it's a gut check.

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I think staying in a role a few
years, asking yourself if you

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felt like you've learned enough.

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You should be able to measure your
success in that role, either to

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predecessors or, you know, have
a conversation with your boss or

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influential,  you know, leaders
that touch that role to say, do

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you think that I've demonstrated
enough in this role to grow?

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I think you should always
be able to measure.

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And then I think the other thing on top
of that is, if you want to grow into,

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if you have an aspiration to grow into
a leadership role, go study the leaders

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that are already in those roles,
go understand what their background

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is, go understand the roles that
they've taken within an organisation.

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What you will find, many
of them have had different

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roles across the business.

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And they've done it at
some point in their career.

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So, I think it's always a dance.

{{00:09:48}}
I have someone very important
to me in my life, that's told

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me it's not a corporate ladder,
it's a corporate jungle gym.

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And, you know, you're gonna hop
around and you're gonna, you're

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gonna be on the swings one day.

{{00:10:00}}
You're gonna be on another part of the
jungle gym another day, but it's this

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idea of building the skills you need,
laying out a roadmap, but also being,

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flexible, because knowing that there
are going to be opportunities that

{{00:10:13}}
come along that you didn't see coming,
but are going to be good for you.

{{00:10:16}}
And I think having that line of sight,
but with some flexibility, I think is

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really a key to growing in leadership.

{{00:10:21}}
It's really helpful, I think a lot of
people will benefit from that advice.

{{00:10:25}}
So, can you just tell me, what
do you like about attending

{{00:10:28}}
the Boston innovation festival?

{{00:10:29}}
So I love just the fresh
perspective, right?

{{00:10:32}}
I think we all get really
bogged down with our day to day.

{{00:10:35}}
So just getting out into the world
and talking to other people who

{{00:10:37}}
may have similar roles and just
seeing how they apply, what they do

{{00:10:41}}
differently, I think is really cool.

{{00:10:43}}
The other thing is, I think
we have this idea that we

{{00:10:46}}
always know the answer.

{{00:10:48}}
We always have the right answer.

{{00:10:50}}
But I think coming to things like
this and having the exposure,

{{00:10:53}}
just makes you realise, we're all
still trying to figure it out.

{{00:10:56}}
And we're all kind of in this
place of learning and growing.

{{00:10:59}}
And so I think it just helps build
that connection across industries

{{00:11:04}}
and across different applications.

{{00:11:07}}
Because there's really common thread
for what everyone does every day,

{{00:11:11}}
and so I really enjoy that part.

{{00:11:12}}
And the other part is also
getting our name out there.

{{00:11:14}}
Selfishly, we come to these things
to, you know, talk about our work

{{00:11:18}}
and to share what we believe is
a certain level of expertise.

{{00:11:21}}
And so I think it's kind of a
couple of things that really help,

{{00:11:24}}
you know, continue to bring us
back to these types of events.

{{00:11:28}}
Fantastic.

{{00:11:29}}
Well, thank you so much for joining us.

{{00:11:30}}
It's been a pleasure
speaking to you today.

{{00:11:32}}
Thank you.

{{00:11:32}}
Have a great day.

So I wanted to start off by asking you,
if we were to look 10 years down the

line, what trend or innovation do you
forecast will be the biggest impact on

I think there are several, but I think
the one that will have the most impact

We are seeing an immense amount of
change between people just saying,

I need to recycle and do better in
my daily life, to, you know, having

this far more holistic perspective
about what sustainability means

and thinking about it on not
just on a global platform, but an

individual platform of how do I show
up to be my best self every day?

And then thinking about their community
and what role they play in that as

well as, you know, on a global scale
saying it's more than just recycling.

I want, you know, good health
and education for everyone.

So you're seeing sustainability
take on this form of, it's

It's about making the world a better
place on a more holistic level.

I think, you know, the conversation
around climate change will

I think, you know, seeing things
like we're flying higher and

higher in the sky and we wear our
seatbelts more when we take off,

I think that those things will
all become factors and people

will continue to be more conscious
about the choices that they make.

Certainly, you know, clean drinking
water and some of those things and

energy will always be a part of the
conversation, but I'm seeing more of

a conversation increase around making
sure that the products that people

use, that they're intentional and
they're thoughtful and it's not just

It's buying something that
really adds value to my life.

And so I think the value
proposition will continue to change.

And a part of that
will be sustainability.

Well, you're a woman
in a leadership role.

And I'm curious, what degree do you
feel of responsibility that women

should have in leadership roles towards
mentoring and sponsoring developing

I think it's a huge
responsibility  for women.

There's no shortage of data that
suggests the more diversity you have

in leadership or in an organisation,
the better innovation outcome.

So that's been proven, but I think
from a women's perspective, the more

of us that rise to the occasion and
take on leadership roles, I think

we do have a responsibility to
mentor, to sponsor and to advocate.

And what I've learned
through my own career is it's

I think we have used that as a word to
kind of blanket everything, but that's

really not the only experience that
junior people need in an organisation.

They need women to advocate
for them in a meeting.

You know, and that is, you know, saying
the things that no one else wants to

say and speaking up for that person
when no one else wants to speak up.

As well as, you know, mentoring
them behind closed doors and

But where I find the biggest
need continually is sponsorship.

Far and wide men get sponsored,
whether it be for education, promotion,

or just visibility, far greater
than women in an organisation.

So I think as women, I certainly feel
it's our responsibility to find other

women and organisation to sponsor
them and to really lift them up.

I have benefited from those
relationships in the past.

I've had everything from a mentor
to an advocate, to a sponsor.

And having those experiences
personally has made me realise,

one, that representation is
extremely important when it comes

to women, not just women, but women
of all colour and backgrounds.

But then, you know, advocacy through
an organisation can take you much

further sometimes than, you know what
guidance you get behind closed doors.

Because it's often what happens in
those rooms that you're not in with

And so as a junior person, you just
don't have the line of sight to that.

So having someone in the room of
a certain experience just enables

you to see that and to get that
level of sponsorship faster.

And so perfectly sort of leading into
my next question, you mentioned a bit

on how you have had in the past mentors
in all kinds of different capacities.

Do you have maybe one kind of
brief anecdote about an impactful

learning experience that really
helped or changed your career?

Yeah, so, I had she was actually the
director in my function, but I didn't

And so, she was kind of all
three together really, which

So she helped kind of help me
navigate my career early on to say,

what are some of the areas where
I can grow, be it in my current

And then she also, you know, because
she had a seat at the table, she could

share with me the conversations that
were being had and how I fit into that

and what I could do differently or
better or more of to help transform

Um, I think ultimately what I've
gained from that is really, it really

I think one she's a black female and
I think being able to see someone

I think you build that commonality and
it allows you to have a conversation

that maybe sometimes you can't
have with others, but then also

just having a woman in leadership,
she just had a certain level of

strength at the table when it came
to power of voice that otherwise

And I think I've benefited from
her being present professionally,

But then also on a personal
level, it created this sentiment

Today's talent pool is more diverse than ever, and with that comes a responsibility to keep that talent driven and engaged. 
Amber Hall talks about the importance of strong female mentors and good coaching to ensure young women feel supported and empowered in the workplace.

Leadership, training, coaching 

Talent Acquisition

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Amber Hall

Strategic Foresight Manager 

Hear why Hall believes that sustainability is a trend that will have huge impact.  She explains how consumers are becoming more conscious in many situations. 

Chapter 1: Sustainability 

Hall gives her thoughts on the importance of being a woman in a leadership role and how data shows diversity in leadership or an organisation the better innovation outcome. She also discusses the importance of mentoring, guiding, and sponsorship for other women and explains what she has gained from having a mentor. 
