It would be pretty empowering to imagine a world where gender bias didn’t exist – incredible to think that in the corporate world a man and a woman with equal experience could be treated in exactly the same way. And, while some people choose to believe we have achieved that level of equality – the reality is – we definitely have not. From some of the biggest global corporations out there to smaller, more grassroots organizations, gender bias still exists – and, it’s high time it stops.
In a recent article in Forbes magazine, the author told a true story of her own experience with gender bias – here’s a look:
“I was in Europe for a global business meeting (I was the person holding the meeting). I arrived early and had just finished making sure my presentation would project correctly onto the screen in the room when two male participants walked in. As they pulled out chairs, one turned to me and said: “Coffee please. Black with two sugars.” Then he sat down and continued his discussion with the other male.
I remember forcing myself to take a deep breath and exhale slowly. Then I walked over and introduced myself: “Hi there! I don’t think we’ve met in person yet. I’m Lisa Quast, the vice president who invited you to this meeting. And you are?”
His face turned red. Then he stammered, “Um. Hopefully not fired?” and looked down at the table.”
Believe it or not stories like this happen each day, and women are forced to take that deep breath that Lisa spoke of above, calm down and handle the situation with grace and dignity. Whether you’ve been in the business for 30 years or it’s your first day on the job, being respected for your skills, talents and experience is a must – not an option. So how do we stop this negative trend?
It starts with making that effort to chip in, get down to the nitty gritty and all take a piece of the support work that has to get done. From taking meeting notes to making the coffee, there are essentials that must be completed each day to make everything run smooth – and those responsibilities fall on everyone – not just the women. That trend and that mind shift starts from the top and cascades throughout an organization – if leadership sets the tone, everyone else will follow. As noted by Forbes, Richard Branson, Founder of the Virgin Group, recently stepped up as the perfect example:
“Not only is this unfair to women, but it’s also disadvantageous to men. It’s time for men to step up and do their share of support work. On top of counteracting gender bias in the work force, it will also give men a better understanding of what [is] going on within the business and what needs to be done to make things run more effectively. Mentoring, training and note taking – these are wonderful development areas, which everyone, men and women alike, can greatly benefit from.”
No matter where you head to work each day, having an equal experience and being treated with respect is a must, not an option – and we all have the power to speak up for making that level of equality come to life. Have you witnessed or experienced your own moments of gender bias? What did you do to help stop the trend?
