I just wrote a comment (below) in response to Carol’s important post. Salary inequity is a problem that can haunt you your entire career — especially if you believe others will consider you a “loose canon” if you try to rectify it. There are few things that can’t be explored and even challenged at work if you do so in politically astute ways. I wrote The Secret Handshake and It’s All Politics to help people with that part. If you’re petulant or constantly perturbed instead of observant and astute, it’s difficult to change anything. Carol is absolutely right about finding ways to learn where your salary stands and raises too. You have to know your worth and assert it. Otherwise other people take advantage — one of those human nature things!
TAGS: Communication Skills, Pay Disparity, Political skills, salary
As usual, over the weekend, I had the chance to catch up on some reading - the April 21 issue of New York Magazine was one of the things I read. Amanda Fortini’s article, The Feminist Reawakening, published before the Pennsylvania primary, makes the point that the media treatment of Hillary Clinton not only reminds some women that we still have a long way to come but has had the unintended benefit of making other (younger) women aware of just how thin that pink line really is.
However things turn out for Senator Clinton’s candidacy, this is a good thing.
TAGS: Feminism, Hillary Clinton, Political skills, Politics, politics at work, power, women leaders, women's equality
But you’ve got to say “no” sometimes and accept that the other person isn’t going to be happy. I had to do it twice last week — and I did not enjoy it. Nonetheless, I realized that my interests would not be met if I said yes.
One of the ways women can get in our own way is to try to make others happy at our own expense. Way too often we are so focused on building relationships with others that we forget that we too should expect — and get — consideration. (more…)
TAGS: Building workplace relationships, communication, Communication Skills, negotiation skills, Political skills, Risk-taking, ways to work healthy, women, women and power, Women at Work, Women In the Professions, women leaders
I love blogging with Kathleen, Carol and Liz. I especially love that they challenge me with their perspectives that are different than my own and help me to grow. Kathleen and I were talking the other day about someone Kathleen knew and I asked if she thought this person might help us with a project we were working on. She thought for a moment and then said she didn’t think we should ask this person for help on this particular project. When I asked why not she explained that this person could actually be a lot more help to us at another time. Kathleen didn’t want to “cash in” one of her relationship chips on something that wouldn’t have a big enough pay off. She also felt this person wouldn’t get enough out of it to make it worth her while. I got it! If you’re going to ask a favor, make sure it’s worth the chip you’re cashing in and make sure the person will see it as something valuable to them. In other words, use your relationships strategically and ensure the quid pro quo (what’s being exchanged) is of equal value. It was a great lesson in how to maximize political skills.
TAGS: Political skills, relationship chips
