Andie & Al, Author at Andie & Al

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Equality & Diversity, Motherhood bias, Office Politics, Sexism

Looking for a Cure for Bias?

Do you struggle with whether or not to tell someone a piece of food is stuck to a tooth or their chin? If performing this helpful act makes you uncomfortable, how likely are you to point out someone’s bias as many suggest that we do? Mixed reactions greet those courageous enough to call out bias. Some emotionally intelligent individuals accept the feedback and work to be more impartial. Others, however, when advised of a bias, react defensively; deeply offended in the...

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by Andie & Al

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Equality & Diversity, Leadership & Management, Office Politics, Politics, Sexism

Gender Equality is Now a Political Issue

We have always thought that the great disparity in women’s and men’s career achievements was a clear and objective indication that the sexes are not treated equally in the workplace. Women have, unquestionably, made impressive gains as they have entered historically male-dominated career paths. For example, in 1980, men were twice as likely as women to have managerial jobs; today women are just as likely as men to hold such positions. Nevertheless, the gender achievement gap remains wide in most leadership...

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by Andie & Al

male employee and female employee working on a computer after hours

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Equality & Diversity, Fighting Stereotypes & Breaking Biases, Gender Communication Techniques, Office Politics, Sexism

Why It’s So Tough for Women to Find Male Mentors in the Workplace

A Harvard Business Review research report concluded that the primary factor “keeping women under the glass ceiling” is “the absence of male advocacy.” The report found that high-performing women simply are not getting the male mentorship they need to reach the top because they are not interacting in business contexts on a one-on-one basis with the senior men in their organizations. Without such interactions, male leaders lack the familiarity, knowledge, and incentive to sponsor women and advocate for their career...

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by Andie & Al

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Advocating for Yourself, Equality & Diversity, Office Politics

Google’s Gender Mess (Our Views Might Surprise You)

Unless you’ve been mountain climbing in the Himalayas this past week, you’ve heard about, if not read in its entirety, James Damore’s memo criticizing Google’s gender diversity policies. Damore, 26, worked in Silicon Valley for Google as a software engineer until he was fired on August 7th. In, “Google’s Ideological Echo Chamber,” Damore argues that “left bias has created a politically correct monoculture [at Google with respect to diversity and inclusion] that maintains its hold by shaming dissenters into silence.” Damore...

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by Andie & Al

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Equality & Diversity, Fighting Stereotypes & Breaking Biases, Sexism

Cautionary Notes When Reading “How to Raise a Feminist Son”

Claire Cain Miller’s recent article in the New York Times about raising a feminist son has attracted a good deal of attention. Without doubt, the article contains much sensible advice: parents should provide boys with positive role models, call out biased stereotypes, and stop conduct that is demeaning, intolerant, or disrespectful. But the article also contains a number of mistaken or misguided ideas. Let’s look at five of them. Is Raising a “Feminist” Son a Good Idea? Miller attempts to limit the...

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by Andie & Al

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Advocating for Yourself, Compensation & Promotion, Leadership & Management

Five Tips for Getting That Important Job Interview

Many recent college graduates are finding it very hard to get a job – or even an interview for one. The competition is stiff. On average, 250 résumés are received for every corporate job opening. And Forbes reported that half of recent graduates are either underemployed or not using their college degree at all. The flip side of this situation is that employers don’t think most recent graduates have the skills employers are looking for. A recent survey conducted by the...

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by Andie & Al

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Life Balance & Positive Mindsets, Office Politics, Sexism, Stereotype Threat

Stereotype Threat: Why Women Feel More Stress at Work

Everyone in today’s supercharged workplaces experiences stress. Yet executive and professional women consistently experience more stress, anxiety, and psychological distress than do men. There are, undoubtedly, a variety of reasons for this — more domestic responsibilities, having been socialized to say “yes” to all requests, and receiving lower pay for similar work immediately come to mind. But, based on our experience coaching and mentoring thousands of women and men over the years, we believe women experience more workplace stress than...

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by Andie & Al

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Gender Communication Techniques, Goldilocks Dilemma, Office Politics

Authenticity Doesn’t Prevent Communication-Based Biases

In her book Feminist Fight Club, recently excerpted on Fast Company, author Jessica Bennett writes about the “persistent double standard” that “women face in the office every time we open our mouths. Use too many stereotypically ‘feminine’ speech patterns, and you risk falling victim to gender bias and undercutting your authority. But carefully prune those habits from the way you talk, and you not only sacrifice your own authenticity but risk being penalized by those same sexist biases as too...

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by Andie & Al

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Fighting Stereotypes & Breaking Biases, Gender Communication Techniques, Politics, Sexism

Kellyanne Conway: A New Target for Sexist Attacks

Kellyanne Conway is unquestionably a strong, confident, and highly accomplished woman. She is the first woman to manage a successful Presidential campaign and is now Counselor to the President of the United States. She is also a highly polarizing figure. On the one hand, she is regarded as “the new hero of the post feminism era”; a woman who “has exposed the hypocrisy of a [leftist] crusade more concerned about political ideology than with supporting strong women in positions of...

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by Andie & Al

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Compensation & Promotion, Equality & Diversity, Fighting Stereotypes & Breaking Biases, Gender Communication Techniques, Goldilocks Dilemma, Office Politics

Sexual Harassment in the Fast Lane

Imagine yourself in your dream job. You love your job, and you are using most of your skills. You have learned a lot, and you are recognized for your contributions. But, then, your manager seems interested in you, and it soon takes the form of sexual overtures. You politely say that you are not interested, but the overtures continue and affect your comfort in your workplace. You finally work up the confidence to report your concerns to management, and you learn...

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by Andie & Al