You may have even created a reputation that you’re not taking yourself seriously, so why would senior management do otherwise ?
But one factor that can change the career advancement game for women, however, is mastering gender dynamics in the workplace.
Consider these behavior scenarios that have been known to raise an eyebrow or two in the office (rightly or wrongly):
– Is it really appropriate for women to say ‘sorry’ in business, or do they tend to over apologize ?
– If you don’t bring a male wingman, will you still land a male client ?
– Do colleagues question your commitment if you’re phoning home one too many times, or tied to your smart phone ?
– When on an interview do you slip in those work-life balance questions ?
– Does your soft spoken voice appear too conservative because you prefer to speak slowly and think rationally ?
While there’s no proof that any of these are absolute ‘no-no’s’, they can help get you thinking about how you’re perceived in the office. The next time you’re doing the rounds, experiment with some tweaks to your workplace M.O. – it could make all the difference in helping to raise your profile in the office and may result in that long overdue promotion.
