It's always said
that women are "talkative," but the situation differs in the
workplace. Researchers have found that women are quieter than men in work, although
they may work harder and smarter.
As a result, women
feel more frustrated as they can't speak up at the workplace, especially if
they are a minority.
To stand out as a woman, here are 14 Ways to Raise Your Voice as A Woman at Work
Make Your Presence
Felt
This is golden
advice from Cristina Lara, an HR and diversity consultant for startups who
served as the National Diversity Manager for Hillary Clinton's presidential
campaign and has led worldwide workplace diversity at Amazon and Cisco. She constantly
asserts that she has to introduce herself if she attends an event where no one
knows her.
This may sometimes
be intimidating, but it's a must. Every woman has to know how to professionally
introduce herself and leave a good first impression that lasts.
Lara said that it's
a must, especially for women who are just starting their careers. They have to
speak up and represent themselves, and it's the first step in proving that they
are significant assets that add value to the business.
Find
A Mentor
Having
high-ranking acquaintances can surely assist you in grasping the broader view
of what's happening on at work and which activities on your side are much more
likely to be effective and acknowledged by others. It's critical to identify
someone in the company who can serve as a mentor or coach to you if you want to
be recognized at all enterprise levels. This is an excellent first step to figuring
out how to traverse the office's minefield. Don't be shy to go all the way to
the top. You may need to venture outside of your bubble to approach multiple
management levels to discover someone who is a suitable fit.
Evaluate
and Demonstrate
Speaking
aimlessly can cost you your reputation as a professional woman. So, to raise
your voice at the workplace, you've to notice everything that goes around you
in the company. Understand the business goals, what are the company's
strengths, what are its weaknesses, which strategies they can apply to achieve
higher results, analyze your colleagues' characters to have everyone's
personality key. Solving all these puzzles will help you in demonstrating your
knowledge and experience.
Evaluating
the situation will help you walk the walk and talk the talk; you'll be able to
use the right tone of voice and give the right solution to the right target
audience.
You
can gain credibility by demonstrating that you are an experienced leader or
passionate about a particular problem.
Sit
And Act Like Men
Have
you ever found a man crossing his legs in a meeting? Or a man who put his hands
on his leg instead of the table in front of him? It never happens! Men sit
casually and confidently; they don't think about what others will say if they
lean to the table or sit with their hands on the chair beside them. So, sit
confidently like men; all you've to do is learn to control your body language
to act professionally.
Think
only about yourself and your reputation as an employee, show up as a manager,
and act as an executive.
Find
A Group of Like-Minded Professionals
It's
hard to make drastic changes around changing the way women are perceived in the
office without the help of others. Create a strong coalition of men and women
in your company or sector who can help solve this problem effectively.
This prepares you to understand more about the
gender-specific challenges that others in your organization or sector face and
how to deal with them.
Next,
research what actions your organization is taking to address those challenges.
Even
though things get tough, don't give up! Always maintain a positive attitude
when dealing with this issue.
Praise
Whenever It's Needed
Try to get rid of "women jealousy" and praise your
woman colleague when she does great work, gives creative ideas, or offers excellent
solutions. If you don't want to make it directly, you can adopt the "amplification"
technique where you show appreciation by repeating your colleagues' ideas or
solutions while talking. It helps in showing recognition, support and it boosts
confidence among the team.
That way also helps in keeping the men away from taking the
credit of the idea.
Pave The Way to Another Women
In male-dominant workplaces, it's difficult for all women to
take the first step towards raising their voices. So, if you're in a meeting,
for example, you can deliver the word to your woman colleague by asking
questions like, "I think you've some important notes regarding this point."
That way will help more women in expressing their selves while stopping men
from taking the field.
Practice Speaking Up
You can sharpen your speaking by either guiding a new female
employee on how to hone their public speaking skills or by exerting more effort
to polish up your skills.
Over time, you'll develop more professional speaking skills
and encourage all women in the workplace to follow you, resulting in a
workplace full of more charismatic and trusted women who can powerfully
represent their company in all scenarios.
Avoid Using Fillers
Avoid jargon and state the facts clearly. Instead of using phrases like "I think" or "I believe," talk about the details directly. Of course, using fillers is normal to keep the conversation going, but it can make you appear less confident. Also, try to
avoid using words like "I understand" and "Oh." The shorter you talk, the less time you need to get people's attention to get your message across.
Start Positively
Since women are more emotional than men, sometimes they use
some phrases that weaken their confidence, like "This may be a ridiculous
question" These kinds of words cut their situation as people around them
realize that they will ask a ridiculous question even if it's not.
So, always start confidently asking or saying whatever you
want with no sinister intros that may harm your reputation as a professional
woman.
Set The Right Tone of Voice
Likewise, your reputation is affected not only by what you
say but also by the tone of your voice. If you're worried about what other
people are thinking, keep your voice steady to gain more confidence. Try to
avoid any high-pitched tone when presenting your idea so you don't sound like
you're asking a question, which will damage your credibility.
Don't Wait for A Help
Having a manager does not mean that you have to rely on him
in every detail. You can defend your opinions, claim your right, and discuss
problems on your own.
You have to prove that being a woman doesn't mean you have
to be a follower all the time.
Look for Opportunities to Develop Courage Outside of The Workplace
It's essential to find places where you can boost your
confidence by participating in dedicated activities or collaborating with
professional coaches to help you find the best ways to develop interpersonal
skills, confidence, and courage.
And always remember! Courage and confidence don't happen all
of a sudden... ALWAYS PRACTICE!
Be Ready to Leave Your Job, If Needed
Although it's not easy to inform anyone to leave her job,
sometimes it becomes a must when working in a biased environment where you can't
find support to achieve any progression. But before taking the decision, you
should be weaponed with another opportunity where you can achieve your dreams,
If you're looking for a job in a healthy environment,