International Women’s Day: Q&A with Chele Dore

Carter Murray 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.

Carter Murray interviewed Chele Dore, Chief Business Development Officer, Herbert Smith Freehills

How do you define confidence, particularly in the workplace?

An ability to be authentic and genuine and true to your values.

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

I wouldn’t call it ‘risk-taking’ in my case. I’ve made my career decisions based upon what interests me and I’m passionate about. That hasn’t always translated into an obvious ‘step-up’ the ladder however it has built broad experience and a diverse set up of skills that have been valuable to bring me to my current position.

Can you give an example of a risk you’ve taken that has paid dividend?

A decade ago, I went on my first parental leave opting to vacate the role I’d had and enjoyed for three years prior to that. No one suggested it or asked me, it was entirely of my doing as I was open to coming back to whatever was next available. Some people were surprised by this decision however I didn’t see it as a risk as I had trust in myself and the organisation that there would be an interesting role that I could impact when I returned – which there was.

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

All are important yet having women in leadership positions changes the dynamic and the culture and provides real opportunities for other women.

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

Calm assertiveness is an important skill and attribute to influence and positions one at a peer to peer level with other senior stakeholders.