Do you wonder how to support other women in the workplace on International Women’s Day and beyond?
This episode of Resiliency Ninja with Allison Graham is dedicated to International Women’s Day. In it I share three simple ideas on how you can support women in the workplace and then share an excerpt from my book, Married My Mom, Birthed a Dog: How to Be Resilient When Life Sucks. (Chapter 32 page 144)
Like all of these special days that mark an important topic, this is one day that needs to spark action in how we show up everyday. The drama we see on reality TV shows like the Real Housewives of … is NOT the way we build loyalty with our teammates, deal with difficult coworkers or break the glass ceiling.
Here are 3 ways we can support women’s career advancement at work. Listen the podcast to hear the full insights. [8 minute episode]
- Celebrate and acknowledge other women’s successes. Like REALLY celebrate. Recognize that another person’s success, does not diminish your potential for success.
- Don’t gossip negatively about someone else. If you have issue with someone else, do them the courtesy of addressing it directly with the person. If you’re going to gossip, get caught saying something kind.
- Don’t buy in stereotypes and specifically that women are more emotional at work. Even if we are, being able to feel into our decisions is one of our superhero powers.
- Bonus tip: what to know how to not cry in a meeting. Squeeze your butt cheeks together. It distracts your brain so you can hold back the tears!
The excerpt from my book…
Musical Chairs, Who’s Out?
CALL IT JEALOUSY OR COMPETITIVENESS, some people step on others as they rise to the top. There is so much abundance in the world why bother?
Both men and women engage in this combative behavior, but in many ways society has set women up to be especially prone to the ugly side of the competitive climb. Back in the day when women were just beginning to be accepted in professional environments, there were only one or two spots at the top that women could fill.
This gender prejudice launched a game of musical chairs. The ruthless women who pushed everyone else aside were the only ones left with a seat at the big boys’ table. When the music stopped, the last chair would go to the woman who threw the most elbows and kicked her high-heeled feet hardest. It was an era fueled by a scarcity mentality. At the root of scarcity is fear. In this case, there was fear that a woman wouldn’t make it to the top unless she was the first and only one there.
I’m inspired by a genuine society where men and women can truly feel supported by each other. We have to stop pulling chairs away when the music stops. Instead we must start adding more chairs to the mix, to invite more people of both genders and various backgrounds to join a bigger table of success.
Thankfully, these days there is so much room at the top you can claim your seat at whatever table motivates you. You don’t need the old boys’ network anymore; you can create your own table.