What are you passionate about in the workplace?
"I have a passion for gender diversity but also the ‘I’ in Diversity and Inclusion (D&I), which is often overlooked," Adams said.
"Inclusion for me is really important. I’ve seen it many times in my career when we have a diverse team, both from a gender and cultural/background perspective, you end up with people who will think differently and challenge us all to deliver the best outcome for the company.
"However, we don’t always have that balance," she said.
“I’ve spent a lot of time in my career developing young women and leaders and challenging them to think about operational roles, particularly young engineers.
"It’s certainly a passion for me, but my strongest passion is having the best team and having an inclusive environment to get the best out of our collective contribution."
What role have mentors played in your career?
"I’ve had amazing mentors over the years and they’ve all played an important role at each stage of my career – particularly during key transition points," Adams said.
"Mentors can be a sounding board to help you build the confidence to take on that new challenging role, or even just to step into the ring and say, 'yes, I really want to do this job'."
Adams said mentors also help you hold a mirror up to yourself.
"I've had some really valuable conversations where I've thought something was a great opportunity and my mentors have made me think about how it would stretch or challenge me, and bring skills and experience that I don’t already have," she said.
"One piece of advice that has always stuck with me is the importance of recognising what you bring to the table.
"This means not thinking about yourself as a ‘job title’ but as a person, and what diverse strengths, perspectives and contributions you bring – but also being aware of your gaps and how you can mitigate them," Adams said.
"It’s important to focus on the strengths and understanding what you offer, your role as a leader and then the areas where you need to build a diverse team and have the right people around you."
What’s your favourite memory of your time at RMIT?
"I had a great time at RMIT – and really enjoyed the blend between the theory and the practical application of learning," Adams said.
"There was always recognition by the teaching staff that you wanted to go and use the knowledge that you were building.
"There have been many times throughout my career when I’ve had moments of ‘wow, here I am living that exact case study I read at RMIT," she said.
"I also remember studying for hours and hours with my friends at the Hairy Canary with a lot of coffee drinking, studying and conversation – also very much a highlight."
Story: Karen Matthews
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