Challenging Gender Stereotypes
Speak Up When You Hear Gender Stereotypes
A report by Catalyst, a New York-based research group, shows that gender-based stereotyping is undermining women’s capacity to lead, holding women back from leadership positions in the workplace. Catalyst’s summation is that both men and women are acting on the stereotypes that women take care, and men take charge.
I know, I know, not me, not you, not her either. But the truth of the matter—the science of the matter—is that this is what’s happening today. You may say, “Well, if it’s me, it must be subconscious.” and that could be true. Here’s what you can do. Now that you’re aware that this is occurring with both women and men, notice (consciously) when this happens, and then shine a light on the situation! Don’t let it continue without everyone involved recognizing what’s happening.
What are the male stereotypes? Men
- strong
- ambitious & aggressive
- leaders
- protect women
- probably important
- problem-solvers (in men’s opinion)
And what are the female stereotypes, and are they that different?
Women
- weak
- not ambitious & not aggressive
- followers (deferring to men)
- nurturing
- probably not important
- problem-solvers (in women’s opinion)
I bet you’d say there’s a difference between the stereotypes and that this difference could be the criteria for who gets promoted into a leadership position and who doesn’t. My Tip of the Week will give you a script for shining a spotlight on stereotypes in the workplace. But before I get to that, did you notice that men think men are better problem-solvers and women think women are? This is an important point. Problem-solving is a quality associated with effective leadership, and a requirement of a successful CEO. This is a quality that must be perceived to move an employee from middle management into upper management, to a directorship, and then to the CEO position. Now if all the people doing the perceiving were female, then women would be overloading the upper ranks and men would have a problem. But as it stands today, 84% of upper management in major corporations—those who are perceiving—are male. What do they see? Through a stereotype lens they see the qualified candidates are male.
Woa, if you’re a woman, what can you do? I guess I’m giving you 2 tips this week. Right now start an ongoing list of problems you’ve solved. This will become part of your résumé. Next time you’re in a meeting, be poised to be the first to speak up when a problem is mentioned. Feel free to use this script:
“That sounds like a challenging problem. I’d like to research it and come up with at least one solution. I’ll keep all of you posted by email and we can discuss it at a later meeting.”
Now aren’t you eager to get the next problem to solve?
Well, here’s the Tip of the Week I originally intended.
Tip:
When you hear someone acting on a stereotype, don’t let it go. For instance, if someone says, “Linda is not nuturing to her employees.” You can follow with, “Jim is not nuturing to his employees, but since he’s a man we don’t notice it. We need to set an example here. We need to treat men and women in an unbiased manner.” And if you can continue in a non-hostile way, add “We can’t assume women take care, and men take charge. Do you agree?”
Visit our website, www.WomensMedia.com, for Expert Advice for Working Women.
Further Reading:
Podcast (always less than 10 minutes), Working in Heels, by Nancy Clark, What To Do When You’re Stereotyped —How To Cancel A Limiting Stereotype or read it here.
Blog, Women’s Lunch Talk, by Nancy Clark, Are Women As Ambitious As Men? —Is Ambition Good For Men, And Bad For Women? or listen to it here.
Website, WomensMedia, by Catalyst, What Keeps Women from Reaching the Top? Women Corporate Officers and Top Earners of the Fortune 500
Website, WomensMedia, by Natalie R. Manor, Leadership & Confidence
—Many Women Are Competent, but Lack Confidence
Website, Catalyst, 2007 Catalyst Census of Women Corporate Officers and Top Earners of the Fortune 500
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