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?
It’s hard for me to find a job because a lot of women won’t hire men – they’re known as troublemakers at the workplace. Sad, but I get it. But not every man is like that.
I always live up with the quote, “don’t work hard. work smart” because working hard will only get you more jobs and less time for your self and for your goals. working smart means knowing your priorities and having a proper time management in each task. plus! You get more time to do what you love and for yourself.
Some women complain about having double standards at work with men, when most of the time, they’re the one who’s being sexist. They always degrade men.
I’m tired of men telling me where women stand in the workplace. My hormones/brain/body parts are irrelevant to your invalid point.
Nah. Some women criticize other women when that person becomes better than them. They try to drag her down. Don’t put all the blame on men.
Sometimes, men got promoted because they were friends with someone with a higher position. Those people often prioritize their friends when there’s a promotion available. Tsk. Tsk.
Companies should really look for the skills of a person and not because he’s a guy, or she’s a woman. It’s disappointing to see many hard work and skills go to waste.
I’ve worked at this hotel restaurant where they don’t allow women in the dining area since they couldn’t afford any “clumsiness” in that area. They would only place women at the reception area and in the back office.
I couldn’t agree more with this article! There’s always been a “discrimination” with men and women, especially at work. People often look men as strong and women on the weaker side. I hope one day, everyone would realize that there are a lot of women who have a better potential than men.
Women are great to work with. The world needs to stop putting a line between the genders. I was raised to appreciate women as much as I would appreciate my mother and my sisters. The world doesn’t have to be cruel all the time.