How Much Do Women Really Need Female Role Models?
In the mid-1970’s I decided I wanted to be an engineer. I didn’t have any role models, except for maybe, sort of, Barbara Walters who I met when I was 15. I told her I wanted to be an aerospace engineer and she told me to go for it and not let the men stop me. She...
Be Proud To Be The Woman In The Room
I’ve noticed a new trend in social media posts – women are offended at being the woman in the room. They are offended when other people are surprised to see a woman in a predominantly or historically male role. A common refrain is, “It is so unfair that I have to...
The Law of Physics That Applies to Men
Newton’s Third Law of Motion is: For every Action, there is an equal and opposite Reaction As a female engineer, I discovered there is a similar law in the male-dominated workplace: When one man Acts, all other men must React Early in my career, my Reaction to this...
A Woman Must Rely on Herself
Growing up my father always told me, “You never know what is going to happen in life so go to college and get a degree that will allow you to support your family on your own.” That was really good advice – that came in handy after I divorced. Given my father’s...
If You Can’t Win At The Game, Change The Game
At a recent dinner a woman and I were talking about women in tech. She brought up a story about a young woman who was the only woman in her department. One of her male co-workers dropped $2 every day into her cubicle. He did it to diminish her – to make her feel...
Ladies – Supporting an Issue Isn’t Enough!
Recently I read through the Action Plan of a women’s organization I was interested in joining. As I read, I kept wondering what action I am supposed to take? What am I supposed to do? This is a huge problem women have. We have ideas, principles and values. Let’s...
Do Men Hate Conflict More Than Women?
Women are taught to think of men as tough and aggressive. But then we work with men and discover that most men hate conflict. They run away from it…literally. Have you noticed that Trump, in spite of his tough, confrontational television “You’re fired!” persona,...
How to Have a Well-Attended Meeting
Do you dread attending meetings? Do the rest of your co-workers feel the same way? Do most of your workplace’s meetings start late because you are waiting for everyone to show up? I discovered the cure. Food. Nothing gets people’s attention in the office more than...
4 Ways To Explain the Unique Value of Women
Many women don’t really understand the real tangible value women bring to the workplace. This is because we are led to believe that for all of the centuries women were not part of the workforce, the all-male workplace functioned just fine. The proof of that is in...
Be More Than Just the “Smart Girl”
At the end of last year I noticed a big trend in media – to treat women as “smart girls” and emphasize that we do better academically than men. I am not sure what the purpose of this is but I do know it won’t help advance women in the workplace because it reinforces...
Men Have Liberty, Women Have License
Men and women have very different perceptions of empowerment and freedom. Women are taught that they are something we are granted by those with power. We are taught that men have always had them. I saw this view expressed in a comment by a young woman who wrote “White men have never had to fight for their freedom.”
I posted a reply, “Yes they did. It was called the Revolutionary War.” As a matter of fact, initially most white men didn’t even have the right to vote because of the property ownership requirements.
Combatting BMOC Syndrome
Being a woman working in a career-field dominated by men, I’ve run into countless men afflicted with BMOC (Big Man on Campus) Syndrome. Usually the first warning sign that a male colleague has contracted the syndrome is the aggressive declaration “I want to be in...
We Need More Women As Achievers
When men and women go into the same trade, vocation or profession they take very different career paths. Men tend to take the path that leads to the higher paying jobs and advancement while women take the path to lower paying government, secondary and support jobs...
You Got a Degree But, Can You Get a Job?
Congratulations Women! We are now earning 57% of the college degrees!! Whoo-hooo! We will soon close that nasty wage gap and have equal representation in the workplace all the way up to the board room. Right? Not quite. When we focus just on getting a degree, any...
The Other Side of #MeToo
Last year I was cycling by myself when I suddenly fell and did the ultimate face plant. I don’t remember the fall, just waking up with my head laying across a man’s leg. I heard him call 911 and report my list of injuries. I remember him telling me I broke my wrist...
Women, Conformity, Validation and Confidence
It is common to hear that in comparison to men, women lack confidence and therefore seek more validation. I’ve never believed this was a natural trait of women but a product of our conditioning. As we grow from girls into women that conditioning is continuously...
Dealing With Men Who Go On Rants
Have you ever had a 6′-6″ 270 lb man come into your office and just explode all over you? That seems like a really intimidating situation for any woman. But it isn’t – if you understand what is really going on. Like us, men get frustrated. ...
The Importance of Trust When Working With Men
It can be intimidating to be a woman entering an all-male workplace. You expect the reception to be professional on the surface but don’t trust that it is an accurate representation of the real environment. You don’t know what your male colleagues really think about...
Finding Solutions to Advance Women
In order to advance women in the workplace, women need solutions for the unique issues and challenges we face. That is why I started this website – there weren’t enough women who had been deep into the male-dominated workplace sharing the lessons they learned on how...