International women’s day: interview with Wak Solis

Frazer Jones is proud to be supporting International Women’s Day 2019. International Women’s Day celebrates the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. Whilst we all know that gender parity within the workplace has improved over the past decades, we all also know that there is still a long way to go.

We would like to join the discussion and be part of International Women’s Day 2019 #BalanceforBetter campaign on the 8th March by interviewing inspiring women we work with and, in particular, understanding the role confidence has played in their career.

We interviewed Wak Solis, Head of Talent Sourcing, APAC, Deutsche Bank.

How important is mentoring, coaching and sponsorship in helping women to grow their confidence at work?

Feedback is key to your growth as a person. Finding a coach is a good way for you to find your deeper purpose and develop your inner strengths. They will challenge you to look at your beliefs and assumptions, to explore the possibilities and to reinforce how you can take charge of your personal and career aspirations. In Deutsche Bank, we have various programs and dedicated diversity pillars that enable and support this mind-set shift such as Aspiring Talent Programme, dbWoman and dbGO (Deutsche Bank Gender Opportunity) to name a few. These programs help women integrate themselves in careers traditionally dominated by men and assist them in shaping their potential and leadership capabilities.

How much has risk-taking contributed to your career development?

I was never one to stick to my comfort zone nor follow the crowd, and having that mindset propelled me to various opportunities of change. It is always something I encourage within my team as I find that’s where we evolve much more, where we grow the most – when we take big risks and challenge the norm.

What can be done to ensure a woman being assertive in the workplace doesn’t negatively impact on colleagues’ perceptions of her?

The focus shouldn’t be on perception but how the trait of being assertive is used – this should be practiced in a positive light, to speak up and stand for something because it’s the right thing to do. We should remove the filter of fear, being viewed differently, or failure as a reason for suppressing assertiveness or speaking one’s mind. We can’t move the dial if we remain standing still.