Did you think the glass ceiling was a relic of the past? Not so much. Even if there weren't plenty of statistics to demonstrate continued gender bias in the workplace, the marketplace, and in financing for start-ups, a depressing stories out of Silicon Valley makes it brutally clear just how far we haven't come.
Unfortunately, according to Wendy Capland, CEO of Vision Quest Consulting and author of the bestseller Your Next Bold Move for Women, there's a lot women do ourselves to make matters worse. "It's not that I don't think there's a glass ceiling," Capland explains. "More women now graduate from college than men, and women are the breadwinners in almost 50 percent of American households. But only 22 percent of executives in Corporate America are women, so that number is pitiful."
But, Capland says, her work coaching executive women has given her a different perspective. Her company has trained thousands of women leaders, both Fortune 500 executives and small business owners. And from what she's observed, women business leaders often fail to put ourselves on the same footing as men. Thus, she says, we suffer not only from the glass ceiling, but also from what some call "sticky-floor syndrome."
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As a woman in leadership and a lifelong feminist myself, my first reaction was to dismiss Capland's view as just another case of blaming the victim. But as she began listing the ways that women leaders undercut themselves, I had to admit that many items on her list were things I myself have done. So have other women leaders I know.
Here are 11 things Capland says we women need to stop doing ASAP so as to claim our power in the business world. See if any of these sound as sadly familiar to you as they did to me:
1. Using minimizing language.
"Women use words that minimize their own impact," Capland says. "Like 'just.' 'Let me just tell you something.' 'I just wanted to stop you for a minute.'" That simple word sends the subtle message that our statements and opinions aren't that important, she says.
And there are other belittling words women are prone to using, she says. "'I'm feeling a little bit concerned about something.' I doubt you're really feeling just a little bit concerned or you probably wouldn't have brought it up," Capland says. "You're feeling concerned."
Find out Inc.com's remaining 11 ways women may be contributing to gender bias in the workplace.
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