Women In The Workplace: We’re Here, Try To Get Used To Us

Women In The Workplace, AdvancingWomen.com

For some reason…who knows why…could be generations of stereotyping ….plenty of things about women in the workplace still puzzle many a male manager.

As an HR leader and working woman for a generation, Liz Ryan has compiled a Top Ten list of tidbits that the women in your workplace would love for you to know. We’ve selected four to share with you but for the rest, go to Women In The Workplace, AdvancingWomen.com

Don’t assume that I don’t know what I’m doing.

It shouldn’t happen, after all these years, but female software engineers still report that their male colleagues say things like “Check her code again, just in case.” Because she’s a woman. And it shouldn’t happen, but when a woman gets promoted, someone is sure to say “Well, they must have needed more women in management.” What if she’s just, well, qualified? Can we assume that men and women are equally equipped to do their jobs?

Don’t worry about my family – they’re fine.

Working women report being caught in a vise – when they’re going great guns at work, their bosses still give them less challenging assignments or stall their career growth “for the sake of your kids.” They’re my kids, for Pete’s sake! I’m perfectly capable of deciding how many hours at the office, how much travel, and what size job I can manage while parenting them. You, as my boss, have nothing to do with it.

Don’t dismiss my non-linear judgment.

It’s well established that women’s and men’s brains operate differently. But there’s a great tendency in the corporate world to pooh-pooh and belittle the non-linear, intuitive decision-making that so many women are so good at. If I’m getting the right answer most of the time, I deserve to get airtime: even if I don’t lay out my argument in your favored Powerpoint-style, data-driven format.

Don’t make me your mother, or your child.

It happens every day: a working woman realizes that her male boss or co-worker has substituted her for his mom or daughter, to her utter dismay. If you’re treated with respect, kid gloves, deference and have no influence in decisions – and are “protected” from bad news – then you’re Mom. If you’re treated graciously and carefully and kept out of difficult or thorny situations, you’re somebody’s surrogate daughter. Women won’t tolerate that. We are just who we are – women that you hired, women who will make your company thrive and flourish, if you let us.

Liz Ryan is a former Fortune 500 HR executive, workplace expert , writer, consultant and speaker (http://www.asklizryan.com). Liz lives in Boulder, Colorado.

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