We are unwrapping some posts from the Women of HR archives for you this holiday season. Relax, enjoy and let us know if there is a favorite of yours you’d like to see unwrapped and run again.
The fact is, women apologize far more often than men. And we apologize for different reasons, often to convey sympathy rather than responsibility. Care less. Apologize less. Or at least count the number of times you say, “I’m sorry,” compared to your male peers. Let people take responsibilities for their own mistakes. It won’t kill them.
Why can a 4-year-old help me to see these things so much more clearly than even a CEO can?
I’ve found that, as an HR leader, it can be fairly idealistic (and frankly a bad idea) to try to create friendships at work.
Let me introduce you to a cultural distinction that subtly affects all of our careers, workplaces, and families.
We’re all stressed these days, trying to do everything perfectly, or reach too many goals in too few hours. In showing self-control, empathy, and courage, you show how truly powerful you really are.
As HR pros, we are supposed to help ensure that there is a clear line of sight between an employee’s effectiveness and his or her ability to do well at our organizations. Let’s work together to help company managers disentangle their own gender conformity preferences from the requirements of the job, and the companies we help lead.
When the Women of HR idea first started, someone innocently used the word, “sassy” to describe the tone we should set. I didn’t agree. What do you think? Let’s continue the conversation.