You are smart, you are capable and you tend to rise in whatever organization you join.   But as you rise, you will almost inevitably bump into two common dynamics which can form a significant speed bump in your upward progress:

1. The time wasters: where you are asked to “help out” and be a “team player” by doing someone else’s work for him.

2. The hollow assignments: where your obvious ability and the respect you command will get you placed as committee chair with endless meetings which demonstrate sound management but, in fact, provide cover for decisions made elsewhere by those who really have the power

One of the first rules of getting ahead is learning to work on your own goals. All too frequently women are asked to “help out” at work, and they accept, even in instances where they will get no credit, and will have less time and energy to devote to their own goals. One key to avoiding this dilemma is to be very clear in recognizing which are important goals for you to accomplish and which are merely draining your energy because someone else, who actually is responsible for the task, expects your help and urges you to be a “team player” or ” a corporate nurturer”, similar to the cub scout den mother baking cookies for all the troops, except this man is not your child. Don’t do it.  We have offered some techniques for effective turn downs below.

Regarding the second speed bump, “hollow assignments” and their consequences, we noted in Feminist Law Professors » Blog Archive » Feminist law prof glass ceilings, one anonymous law professor recently posted this:

“After tenure, feminist law profs throw their hearts and souls into being good citizens of their institution, hoping to do their part to  help shape an environment that promotes excellence and diversity and humanity and other good values – and hoping to break the glass ceiling in law school leadership that has generally not included many women.   But their institutional good citizenship backfires:  (Ed. they suffer other consequences) or their time may simply get wasted, as they are rewarded for the leadership with ever-more committee chairs and endless meetings that give the appearance of faculty governance but simply cover over decisions made elsewhere by those who really have the power – and who tend to undo or undermine the hard work and bridge-building of the feminist law prof — either out of retaliation or incompetence and dysfunctional management….”

It is not just female law professors who suffer from this situation.  Unfortunately it is the same in many institutions.

AdvancingWomen.com believes there is a remedy for each of these situations.

First, look for an ideal workplace where you’ll be appreciated and have the opportunity to thrive. Look for a place that supports your values and values you as an integral part of the organization. Companies like Eileen Fisher, Inc, have a a mission to encourage individual growth, collaboration, and social consciousness, as evidenced by her generous benefit package and work environment.  Her motto: “We want employees to love this place.”  That’s  the kind of employer attitude you should be looking for.

Second, if you have landed in a company which distinctly does not have this winning attitude, you can try to improve the situation through negotiating. You might want to view change and your evolution into reaching your full potential within your company as a continuous, ongoing negotiation with the forces of status quo , exchanging and interchanging differing interests and value systems to try to bring your view and your company’s view closer together, to “level the playing field” for yourself.

Identify what, precisely, you want from your organization and decide how much you’re willing to give to get it, in terms of time and hard work. Then ask for it. On that list should be “no hollow assignments”.  “If you give me something to do, then give me the authority to do it.”

Keep pressing your point. Finally, keep delivering benefits to your organization, so you will be building a career “bank account” for negotiations that you can draw on in the future.

Ditching the time wasters

In The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People“, author Steve Covey suggests a way to say no without offending. ” Of course, I’ll be happy to do anything you want me to do. Just let me share with you my situation.” Then you map out in great detail your many projects, pressures and deadlines.

Although it is far better to avoid draining tasks which don’t support your career goals, there’s also a second or fall-back approach. Agree to help but negotiate for something you want in exchange. ( This will also serve to place more perceived value on your time, as it will not be free but must be paid for with something in return). You say, “I will do what you’re asking under the following conditions…”, then set them out. You may want a newer computer, more staff, a rescheduling of due dates on some of your projects…… whatever you decide would make an equitable trade. If the person has nothing to offer at the moment, if for whatever reason, you decide to acquiesce anyway, your final position is to say, ” O.k., I’ll do it this time, but you owe me one.”

On the rare occasions I’ve been willing to do this, I always say:  ” Ok, now I’m going to do what the guys do.  I’m going to do it, but you owe me.”  Somehow this seems to make it crystal clear that I’m giving something of value and they are pleased as punch to accept it, and the barter method has been further legitimized by the fact that “the guys do it”.  In other words, we are playing by the “old boys network” rules, but so what if we are improving our workplace and leveling the playing field for ourselves?

To read the whole Feminist Law Professors Post,  go to Feminist law prof glass ceilings

Related articles by Zemanta

• Seven Habits of Highly Connected People by Stephen Downes, Guest Contributor