There’s an old saying that women have to work twice as hard as men to get half as much. While this may have some truth to it, there are things that you may be doing –without realizing it– that limit your upward mobility at work.
Women have come a long way in the workplace. We have fought for the right to work alongside men, the right to be paid the same as them and the right to be treated with respect. There’s no reason why we can’t compete like a man. The question is: why don’t we?
Part of the answer lies in the fact that women unknowingly undermine their credibility and sabotage their careers. In other words, it’s not just the men in HR ruining our chance for a promotion; we do it to ourselves too.
If you find yourself repeatedly being skipped over for a promotion, the following top three mistakes that women make at work might help:
Working too hard
Women often complain that they do more work compared to other people. The truth is no one was ever promoted by hard work alone. According to Frankel, likeability, networking skills, and strategic thinking are some of the other factors needed to grow into a successful career. Instead of working hard all day, skipping lunch and breaks, give yourself permission to “waste” a little time. Spend at least five percent of your day building relationships.
Doing the work of others
Women tend to take responsibility for not only their work, but also the work of others. There’s only one problem with this: while we’re busy doing the grunt work, men are busy building their careers. Promotions are rewarded for a job done, not doing the job. Stop volunteering for low profile assignments. They won’t only zap your time, but also won’t improve your career. Try not to let others delegate their work to you. Practice saying “I’d love to, but I’m just swamped.” There’s no need to explain further. It’s their job, not yours.
Failing to capitalize on relationships
Men rely on relationships to open doors for them. Women view it as taking advantage of a friendship or business partner. You’d trust a referral from one of your business associates, then why wouldn’t the door swing the other way? When in doubt, ask permission to use a colleague’s name. For example, “I’m trying to set up a meeting with George Smith. Would it be all right if I mention that I know you?” See how easy that was?
No gender is superior than the other. End of story.
Women and men have strengths and companies should be able to bring them out in all the right ways.
Still, equality.?
Companies like this should be burnt in cinders.
This problem is still present in workplaces and it’s very sad.
I appreciate work places that look at women and men as equal beings with equal strengths.
Don’t let stereotypes like this dictate your future. There are a lot of companies and organizations out there that will appreciate your value and capabilities as a woman. If you are in a place wherein they do not see your value, I highly suggest that you leave. Your growth there is very limited and that’s not what you’re aiming for.
I can’t believe this is still a thing nowadays.
For me, women have caught up with men in terms of education. In fact, in the United States and other countries, women now actually surpass men in educational achievement. So there’s no problem with female achievement. The problem enters in when young adults try to balance work and family, and women end up carrying nearly all of the care-giving responsibilities.
This article is so true! So hard being a woman in the workplace, and very easy to fall victim to some of the “traps” listed here. Sometimes women can be tough on other women too, so we seems to get it from both ends. One must persevere, and seek out those who are willing to collaborate and empower you to greater success’.
Women and Men should be treated equally in the workplace. As women, we work really hard and have a determined edge when it comes to completing tasks, so it is hard for us to say “no” sometimes. I think we just have to focus on personal growth as opposed to feeling undermined at work. As a sex, we are doing quite well in the workplace, despite some sexism inequality that still exists.