Photo credit: madamenoire.com
I remember this newly promoted young woman telling me once: “Watch, now that I’m promoted, I’ll never be invited to informal team lunches again.” And right, she was. As she settled in her new tenure, the invites lessened, and so did the Instant Message pings going around for informal happy hour. On the other hand, the pressure to compete with the men in similar higher-up positions increased.
All of a sudden, this woman who had worked so hard to earn her professional success, was being shunned exactly because of it…And instead of rejoicing over her newfound success, she was starting to question if it was even worth it.
According to this recent study, women in power positions at work are more likely to suffer from depression. The opposite is true for men. Despite achieving seemingly better socio-economic advantages, including more money, better education, which are also linked to better health, women in powerful positions in the workplace tend to suffer from negative stereotypes, discrimination, prejudice, lack of support, and competitive pressures. Additionally, the fact many a woman may perceive a trade-off between power at work and at home, may put female higher-ups in a constant limbo between professional and family obligations. So how can women navigate professional success without letting it impact them negatively?
1. Understand the bias exists. Both the organizations and the women in it need to understand there is a real bias against women in power. It has existed since the beginning of times, and most likely will persist despite our best efforts. I know some people with the best of intentions who have bias. Being aware of it can make all the difference between spotting an organizational problem, and internalizing it as a personal flaw.
2. Work with what you’ve got! Once women and organizations alike understand the problem is the deeply ingrained bias in cultures and people, they are better able to navigate the resulting situations. For instance, many women tend waver in their approach to authority as they fear being authoritative does not match the expectation around women being cooperative and friendly. Working around these expectations can help not only lessen them, but also introduce newer, more realistic and effective ones.
3. Seek support! Any women in a position of power is likely to face gender-related bias at work, along with the associated challenges. As we look around at successful women who’ve paved the way to success, one common point among them is mentorship. A mentor will help you find and apply strategies to circumvent bias-related issues in the workplace. If nothing else, their support will help you keep on keepin’ on when all you want to do is “lean out”…
More power, more problems? Do you think power is bad for women?
The Corporate Sis.
