CEO Jennifer Burge was interviewed by Mexico Mining News for its annual Mining Review 2022 for Chapter 1, “The State of the Industry.”
Q: To what degree has the pandemic improved intercultural communication, given the common experiences it has generated?
A: The pandemic has created greater opportunities for individuals and businesses to communicate across borders. People are more open to the idea of communicating and doing business through new digital tools, which can translate to greater success. However, more communication does not necessarily mean efficient communication, which would be messaging that hits its intended mark with the message the sender intended. Most professionals need advanced tools to effectively communicate and access new markets outside their native country. “More communication” rarely means “better communication” and I have seen more
miscommunication than opportunities won as a result. However, it is important to recognize the opportunities that emerged from the pandemic, especially because it opened new channels that would have been very difficult to achieve in the past. For example, at the Arizona-Sonora women’s empowerment conference “Mega Women of the MegaRegion” that WorldWise Coaching organized on International Women’s Day 2021, we opened a communication channel for women in mining in Arizona and Sonora, which had never existed.
Q: You have said that Mexico works in a “collaborative” model versus the American “individualist” model. To what degree has the pandemic changed these?
A: Both models have become more rigid. Individualistic cultures, such as in the US, the UK, Australia and Canada, have intensified this pattern and people are often working in silos. While different
communication channels have opened during the pandemic, working from home has made isolation a habit. Meanwhile, in collaborative cultures like those in Latin America, there has been
more cross-border collaboration and more trade agreements have been created. In fact, COVID-19 has been shown to benefit intercultural trade in these countries. In Mexico, the collaborative community has worked very well. However, it has not resulted in innovation or growth. The country could benefit enormously if it were to be more open to people outside its borders. The Mexican business culture is based on trust,
which is why the pandemic has brought these work communities closer and strengthened them to the point of excluding others.
Q: What gaps still exist in the industry regarding female inclusion and how can Mexico make progress on this matter?
A: Over my 25 years of experience in more than 50 countries, it has become obvious to me that what an industry presents on the surface is rarely the reality of what is happening. When
I started working in the Mexican mining industry, I saw many organizations, associations and publications interviewing women in mining, so it appeared that there was strong support of
women’s empowerment. However, the more heavily involved I became in the industry, the clearer the traditional male hierarchy and discrimination became. So, while we have heard a great deal
of discussion about female empowerment, there has not been much action. To include more women in mining, we must provide greater educational opportunities and incentivize young women to join
STEM programs. You will only be able to encourage women to join the sector if they see that successful female role models participate already. However, there have been major setbacks, especially during the pandemic, as women working from home became nearly 100 percent responsible for all the tasks at home, such as taking care of children, cooking and cleaning. This unequal distribution of unpaid work not only affects women in Mexico but worldwide. In my opinion, the biggest hurdle is making childcare more accessible and affordable to mothers.
Also, women need to better support each other. Excessively competing with one another does not help the cause for women as it contributes to negative workplace morale, which is extremely damaging to
teams and productivity. We also need men to be more supportive in the workplace by providing advancement and development opportunities for women and helping to eliminate the idea that mining is only for men. If you look at any industry, anywhere in the world, the unique set of skills and leadership style women bring to the table provide significant benefits to shareholders. It is important that people recognize how the natural leadership, organizational and entrepreneurial talent of women improve work and team building everywhere. Promoting female participation is not only the right thing to do but it has been proven to be good economics.
Q: What gap have you have identified in the industry related to ESG issues and how can it be closed?
A: There is an enormous gap between what companies say and what they do. In the US, female inclusion is often mandatory, especially for ESG criteria. It is no longer socially acceptable for companies to omit ESG from their mission and priorities. While researching information on mining companies around the world, it became glaringly obvious that most of these companies publicly state on their website that female inclusion is their priority. However, the majority do not provide any data or transparency about their actions to ensure this happens. In mining, effective communication is essential, not
only regarding inclusion but other social matters too. Communication with local communities is key for companies to have a positive impact on them and to be able to operate on their land. Companies that just
go into a community to extract resources and leave will eventually be stopped from operating at all. Moreover, for the future conversion to electric infrastructure that much of the world desires, we need more mining and it must be responsible. Positive ESG performance can be achieved only if companies understand the value of communication at all levels and if they communicate effectively internally and externally with stakeholders, especially within communities where mines are planned and operated.
Click here to download Mexico Mining Review 2022 Mexico Mining Review 2022
Recent Comments