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5 Signs of Misogyny In the Workplace Not Even Women Notice
I want to start this article with a disclaimer.
Even with our massive strides forward as a sex (and we’ve had so many to be proud of), misogyny remains real, pervasive, and often unconscious in the workplace.
That said, the point of this article is not to plunge women into victim mode. Rather, I intend it as an awareness tool that we can use to empower ourselves.
The signs I outline here are useful conversation starters that arose from my work with women leaders. My intent is that, through honest and reflective dialogue, we can bring to light to the many ways that women are (still) operating at a disadvantage at work. This article provides a starting place for us to understand the subtle, insidious, and damaging forces that shape our workplace practices.
We Can’t Out-Climb Our Conditioning
Not long ago I was in a business meeting with a number of executives in a large company. The head of the team was a middle-aged woman who had risen to a prominent leadership position.
Through the course of that meeting I noticed a few things that arrested me: the woman apologized when she gave orders. She deferred to her direct reports in decisions that should have been hers. She actively soothed egos to avoid…
