International women’s day – interview with NG Ying Yuan, Singapore economic development board

Frazer Jones is proud to be supporting International Women’s Day 2017. We have interviewed a series of our female clients asking them how they have been bold for change #BeBoldForChange

Frazer Jones interviewed NG Ying Yuan, Executive Director, Human Resources and Organisation Development at Singapore Economic Development Board

What advice would you give aspiring women in your industry?
For aspiring HR leaders, I find it useful to regularly reflect on our own life experiences and of those around us, and use that to guide us in thinking through how better to support the different segments of workforce in our organisations.

Our experiences as young working adults fresh out of school help us better imagine
how to develop young talent and channel their youth and energies into positive growth and contribution.

Our experiences as working mothers, single or married, or as children of aged parents, help us better understand the need for flexibility and appreciate a workforce that comes with a balanced perspective which incorporates different dimensions of life.

Our experiences as first-time managers help us better empathise with the challenge of career growth transitions and enables us to design helpful training to support inexperienced managers in being more effective in their new roles.

Accumulating different life experiences is wonderful, being able to reflect on them so that we can support the people in our organisation well makes these experiences valuable.

What have you learnt about leadership?
I have learnt over time that shedding one’s ego is critical to serving well as a leader.

Leadership is about serving the people, the teams, the organisation or the community around us.

Many times, it requires us to accept help and advice from others in order to handle our roles well.

Not being able to check one’s ego at the door often leaves one vulnerable to projecting his or her needs onto others, and makes one ineffective in creating a conducive context for collective human energy to be harnessed.