Your Say: Anna Jackman On The Change She Wants To See
Anna Jackman Employment Lawyer DTI Lawyers, Hamilton
The change I want to see in the next 12 months is… That workplaces continue the conversation about health and wellbeing and implement and embrace a real shift in attitude where still required. It’s great to see wellbeing issues being at the forefront of conversations about workplace health and safety, and I’d like to see that continue to evolve.
To me success means… being able to do the things you enjoy doing, and doing them well.
Best advice I’ve been given… I’m better at giving advice than receiving it! Probably that if I believed it and wanted it, I could absolutely do it. That’s so true. I have learned to make the conscious choice to be the latter and not stand in my own way.
The most rewarding part of my job… Helping people work through difficult situations and assisting them to resolve them. I love being a part of the process and helping to find solutions for people.
Life motto: “What could go wrong”. Meaning, I’ll give that a go…
Favourite book: I’ve loved books for as long as I can remember. As a kid it was the Alex series by Tess Duder. It’s so hard to choose one book – I really enjoy NZ authors, and my latest favorite book I have read is The New Ships by Kate Duignan.
My goals for the next 12 months are… Personally, its to create more cool memories with our kids – the eldest is only 18 months away from leaving school and starting out on his independent life adventure.
Professionally, it’s continuing with the great mahi that I’m privileged to do with the team, meeting new and interesting people to work with, and embracing new challenges.
The women who inspire me: I’ve been quietly collecting inspiring women for as long as I can remember! That may be a product of growing up as one of four sisters. My aunt, whose love of the outdoors and travel inspired me to do the same. I am privileged to be related to, friends with, and work with and for inspiring women, including four of five of DTI’s directors – who each have their own interesting paths. I support and am inspired by a number of women in business in the Waikato. My nieces are pretty amazing too, they have a real sense of self, and will no doubt do interesting and inspiring things in the future.
The gender stereotype I can’t stand: All of the gender stereotypes! Just. Stop. It. It’s 2021!
The main challenge for women in business is… Sadly, it’s sometimes still being taken seriously. That if you are kind, you can be perceived as weak.
We need pay equality because… Because equality is important. It’s the right thing to do. It’s also the law!
Diversity in the workplace is… To be cultivated – and hopefully not such an issue in the law as it may have been traditionally.
I advocate for change by… Being informed. Showing up/speaking up where I have a platform to.
