Smita Diwan
Women are trying and competing with men in work spaces globally, but due to many unforeseen reasons they are often left behind. A general analysis into the workspace culture and prior work experience brings me to the following conclusion as to why women lose in workspace competition to male colleagues and what can be done to change this situation:
Loud and Clear
Women are culturally prone to being tolerant and subdued in formal social settings, it is something we are taught right from our childhoods; to be polite and not aggressive. Unfortunately the workspace does not function on the same rules. Here you need to stand tall and speak up. Asserting your rights and opinions at the workplace will go a long way in getting you better opportunities.
Balancing Act
Women who want a career, constant reinforcement at home and work will be crucial in maintaining that balance. In such scenarios it is up to us women to help organizations create smooth working environments for us. And convincing our families of how important work is to us will go a long way in garnering support from our families. Only we can help ourselves.
Play to Your Strengths
With men in majority in most workplace situations, we take it for granted that if we have to succeed, we need to act like men. Instead of being like men at work, we need to find our core competencies as women! The bottom line is that we need to work to the best of our abilities; surely we have our gender specific skills set that work brilliantly.
Don’t Take Stereotypes for Granted
Stereotypes perpetuate only because we endorse them. Next time your boss asks you to get coffee, make it known that you are not too excited to do it. Most of the time we endorse gender based stereotypes because we think of it as normal. And getting coffee for our bosses will never get us the raise in a healthy working environment. Make it known that you can say ‘no’. It all boils down that.
Be Ambitious
It’s time we move out of our comfort zones and challenge our male dominated work spaces more often; make it known that you are up for any healthy competition and will not back down easily. Women are no less career-driven than men, and with the plethora of soft skills they possess intrinsically, we make some very good colleagues at our jobs! Let’s never forget that.
