Some find it astonishing that in 2016, we are still talking about how women are being held back in the workplace. Unfortunately however, females still struggle to advance in comparison to men. In a posting on hubspot.com, Katie Burke shares 10 tips to help women to shatter the glass ceiling.
1) Don’t procrastinate. Whether it’s a young girl raising her hand in class or a female entrepreneur launching a business idea, women tend to hesitate. All too often, this characteristic holds them back. The most successful women are risk-takers. Rather than waiting until everything is perfectly aligned before acting, they fearlessly dive right in.
2) Failure is not a weakness. Women strive to be infallible, however all great leaders stumble sometimes. What is crucial is how one responds to failure. Instead of berating themselves when errors occur, women should embrace mistakes and transform them into learning experiences.
3) Recognize that success is plentiful. Some women are convinced that there is a finite amount of power and achievement in the world. The truth is that power and success is not a limited resource—the law of universal abundance guarantees enough for everyone. When women advance, it is not at the expense of men.
4) Eliminate assumptions. Women and men possess unconscious gender biases. Instead of denying them, bring them to light and openly discuss how to minimize them in the workplace. Examine how job descriptions or the selection of candidates to be interviewed for an open position might be contributing to gender bias.
5) Aim high. While men usually dream big, women tend to have more modest goals. Women should be encouraged to express ambition. Everyone should stretch their imaginations about the role of women in the workplace, and females should be empowered to strive for executive leadership roles.
6) Solicit perspective. Men tend to be more resilient and don’t take career hits as personally as women do. Females can rebound from career challenges by soliciting feedback from trusted colleagues who will provide objective advice. Constructive feedback fosters personal and professional growth, so optimize feedback channels to maximize learning and grow as a leader.
7) Build a network. Busy women, who often have caretaking responsibilities in addition to careers, tend to avoid after-hours networking events. Networking events should be prioritized in order to foster personal growth. Set a goal to make 10 new connections.
8) Toot your own horn. Women traditionally downplay their accomplishments. Toss humility aside and boast about triumphs. Women should create online portfolios, publish blogs or update their LinkedIn profiles. They shouldn’t worry about coming off as blowhards—proudly highlighting their accomplishments positions them as dynamos.
9) Cultivate confidence and a sense of humor. Confidence helps women overcome stereotypes that hold them back. Humor enables them to stay positive and rise above discouraging situations.
10) Let go of perfection. Having it all is an elusive myth. Instead of striving for perfection in all areas, women should aim for growth in what matters most. This can be personal or professional, and will morph over time.
