tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5544913458028415917.post91215482149008586..comments2024-02-24T03:14:25.170-05:00Comments on A Half Baked Life: NaBloPoMo: The Trouble With (Just) Leaning InJustine Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14190295175501659469noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5544913458028415917.post-39635324964119071792013-07-10T00:35:07.579-04:002013-07-10T00:35:07.579-04:00I had an experience that was very similar to the o...I had an experience that was very similar to the one in your post...it was actually a little bit freaky to read. :) However, my experience was with a female supervisor. I don't know quite what to make of that other than the idea that we need to remember women do this to other women too.<br /><br />I think the previous comment is right. Leaning in is a quaint idea. Power is in numbers and votes. We can't forget that.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5544913458028415917.post-65462576504862320822013-07-05T11:30:50.463-04:002013-07-05T11:30:50.463-04:00The problem with the women in your story is that i...The problem with the women in your story is that it is such an insidious kind of sexism that it's hard to pin down and protest. It's not overt discrimination - there's always an excuse "Well, she was out of the office, and we needed a response RIGHT NOW." "She couldn't be available for the conference call." "The venue changed XXXX in the contract for the event, and it wasn't acceptable, so we cancelled." You know it's happening, but it's so hard to prove and therefore so hard to stamp it out.<br /><br />My workplace has had that kind of attitude, but since I work for state government, it has been very difficult for them to be too sexist, at least in the field in which I work. Other areas have overt and covert sexism, but mine has been decent.areyoukiddingmehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16107214079237461141noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5544913458028415917.post-55964662917557608932013-06-24T20:10:24.790-04:002013-06-24T20:10:24.790-04:00I am in the middle of reading Sandberg's book ...I am in the middle of reading Sandberg's book right now. I wrote a couple of previous posts about the buzz around her book, & my own work experiences: <br /><br />http://theroadlesstravelledlb.blogspot.ca/2013/02/im-more-than-just-uterus.html<br /><br />http://theroadlesstravelledlb.blogspot.ca/2013/03/more-on-women-and-work-including-me.html<br /><br />I have never experienced anything quite as blatant as the case you described, but subtle sexism? Absolutely. I will never forget being in a meeting where I made an observation... nobody said anything. About 10 minutes later, one of the guys at the table said exactly the same thing I had in almost exactly the same way -- & got laughter & nods. I'd heard about this happening to other women, but to have it happen to me like that -- my jaw just about hit the floor. loribethhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09272814565916935113noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5544913458028415917.post-37195236762523020212013-06-23T23:36:12.853-04:002013-06-23T23:36:12.853-04:00I'm really mad about what happened to the woma...I'm really mad about what happened to the woman you know. I'm not sure I believe it has as much to do with gender as with general smarminess and tacit approval by those in charge.<br /><br />Which are still often men, so maybe this is a gender thing. And it did have something to do with the woman's child-bearing absence, so maybe this is a gender thing.<br /><br />I haven't leaned in for an organization for many years now. I feel that I have leaned in in my own pursuits and I've found an incredibly supportive bunch of generous, savvy and powerful women.<br /><br />I hope, as I head back to the workforce, that I can find such a community there.<br /><br />I hope your friend gets justice somehow, and that Mr Smarmy is exposed.Lori Lavender Luzhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15394441222262940632noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5544913458028415917.post-33001307302321108562013-06-23T16:37:08.886-04:002013-06-23T16:37:08.886-04:00I work in a small branch of a big multinational co...I work in a small branch of a big multinational company. Because we're small but have the backing of a big company, we can create our own culture to an extent. There are five of us who are mothers and four of us are now working a four-day-week with one day from home. We've somehow made this the accepted norm and it's working really well - we discuss together to find ways to make our work hours fit around our home lives and give each other advice when looking for approval for changes in work conditions without being "written off" as mothers who are no longer interested. So I guess this is our version of creating a supportive lean-in environment. I really enjoyed your post - it's a topic that could be and should be discussed moreOffice Mumhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15160182409215615475noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5544913458028415917.post-45813883522970383242013-06-23T03:24:45.439-04:002013-06-23T03:24:45.439-04:00Wow. Just, wow. When I was fresh out of undergrad ...Wow. Just, wow. When I was fresh out of undergrad I found my female boss was my wall to moving up in the organization. I was hired part time with the deal that it would go full time. I worked there for 3 years and it never went full time. I stupidly stayed because finding work in my field in the area I lived was hard and eventually I was laid off because they "had budget cuts". I didn't point out that they just bought a dozen brand new computers and other machinery for staff that were suddenly out of a job. I held my tongue about how I did half the work in the office, including my supervisor's, but somehow didn't warrant full time hours. Meanwhile my supervisor watched soap operas and took naps in her office..and her yearly eval included such gems as "wear shoes" for areas of improvement. I was so demoralized by those three years. So disenfranchised. I still find it hard to stand up and take control of my career, which is why my business is stagnating instead of growing as it should. :/Audreyhttp://www.theideagirlblog.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5544913458028415917.post-55390533572643046492013-06-21T18:13:05.684-04:002013-06-21T18:13:05.684-04:00Own stocks. Vote against management proposals to a...Own stocks. Vote against management proposals to add more men to board of dirctors when over 1/2 of board of directors are not female. Leaning in is cute idea but power is in voting.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5544913458028415917.post-80002751989251989072013-06-21T11:10:54.898-04:002013-06-21T11:10:54.898-04:00As Jennifer said, I don't lean in because I...As Jennifer said, I don't lean in because I've never been particularly ambitious *in that way*. My own ambitions are simpler ones less likely to be hampered by idiots, unless I am the idiot. <br /><br />The place I worked the longest was very family-friendly and more of the bosses seemed to be female than male, so I "grew up" in my career thinking that the glass ceiling was a thing of the past. Sadly, I hear from friends that this is not the case. Maudhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16597977344296682203noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5544913458028415917.post-51688930407832760102013-06-21T10:59:11.761-04:002013-06-21T10:59:11.761-04:00I've never thought of myself as "ambitiou...I've never thought of myself as "ambitious" exactly, only I know I want to do the best with the education and abilities I have. <br /><br />There will always be sexist !@@$heads, or just ##$%heads, like the fellow in your story. I think the important part is that they are not allowed to get away with being jerks. People within the organizations and in the media, men and women, need to call them on their actions.<br /><br />I have not worked under a person as obnoxious as the one in your story, but I have been in a position where I had to stand up to people at work. What I learned from that experience is that when people say "This is wrong, this has to change" it does make a difference. As long as the organization is still at least partly healthy. In a dysfunctional organization or company, what can you do but run? And in the end it's going to be the business that pays the price of chasing away talented people, men and women.<br /><br />I fully support more family-friendly practices in the workplace (and am lucky to work in a field where such practices do exist, perhaps because a lot of the workforce is women who have/want children). On the other hand, I don't think there's any way to compare having a child to another work project. A child isn't a career your can change or leave. You will never not be that child's mother. There's no contest.torthúilhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07738803052167620020noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5544913458028415917.post-37536268042213427452013-06-21T06:48:30.645-04:002013-06-21T06:48:30.645-04:00I don't lean in. I lack the ambition. The best...I don't lean in. I lack the ambition. The best I can manage is to show up, which is not how one becomes a CEO.<br /><br />I try to encourage others to lean in, if that's what they want. I will watch their kids when I can, and will happily sit down with a glass of wine or a cup of tea to talk strategy. <br /><br />And just yesterday I may have convinced as many as three people that the names of women's body parts as insults for men was probably not a good idea. You're welcome for that.Jennifer Thorsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04999871200590569742noreply@blogger.com