JUL 24

Posted by lipstickchat

To prepare for today’s post, I did what I thought was an innocent enough Google search, “Hot topics for women in the workplace”.  I really, really wanted to write about social media dos and don’ts or water cooler etiquette, something light and super fun.  But, the search results surprised me.

It seemed that with the appointment of a very pregnant Marissa Mayer as CEO of Yahoo, cyberspace was abuzz with concerns about persistent gender inequality in the workplace, the glass ceiling. Surprise turned into vague discomfort, like waiting in the gynecologist’s office for an annual checkup, as I read more statistics and reasons for the gap.

It’s not like I am completely unaware, I work in a field dominated by women and as such pay is low, but part of me thought that things must be better in the private sector, it being 2012 and all.

Let me say that this topic is too huge and complicated to cover in a post, or even in a lifetime, but what I can do is present the facts and highlight some of the areas that are within our power to change.  If we continue to follow Warren and Kathleen’s advice and take an honest appraisal of where we falter, we can chunk the problem into workable pieces and take small steps to change.

So please read on and when you are done take a moment to share your experience so that we can grow together. “Coming together is a beginning; keeping together is progress; working together is success.” ~Henry Ford.

“Ability is sexless.” ~ Christabel Pankhurst

Studies show that women in the workforce are more collaborative, inclusive, flexible, and empathetic than their male counterparts.  Sounds pretty fabulous, right?  But despite these positives, a gender gap still exists in pay and opportunity.  Graduating males make more money than graduating females, upwards of 7%, and are promoted at a faster pace.

Why this disparity?  Experts point to the following areas of weakness:

• Negotiating skills.  Men are more likely than women to negotiate for not only pay and promotions, but also recognition throughout their careers.  Accordingly, the salary gap increases over time.
• Team building. Men are better at building a team around them that accentuates their strengths. They are also better at networking. Men will connect and help colleagues they barely know.  In contrast, women feel they need to build a relationship before helping, leaving them with far less contacts.
• Feelings of self-doubt. Ingrained feelings of inadequacy lead women to doubt their ability to lead others.  Women are also less likely than their male counterparts to answer difficult questions or volunteer for unfamiliar tasks.
• Lack of self-promotion.   Women tend to underplay their achievements and coworkers and superiors believe what they say about their performance.  Self-promotion is key and men tend to be better at it.

What’s holding you back at work?  What can you do to change it?

Sources & Resources

Laura D’Andrea Tyson, What Holds Women Back: New Views.

Bonnie Marcus, What Holds Middle Managers Back From Leadership?

Anita Bruzzese, Women in the Workplace: Where They Shine, Where They Struggle.

Jocelyn Noveck, Marissa Mayer, Yahoo CEO’s Pregnancy Reignites A Perennial Debate.