Tag Archives: self esteem

Do women still derail each other in the workplace?

women derailing women by Diane Shawe 2015Are women other women’s own worst enemies at work?

article by Diane Shawe M.Ed

There was an interesting essay a few weeks ago in the New York Times about workplace infighting among women. The piece describes how women can sometimes derail each other in the office. Is this true? One study by the Workplace Bullying Institute, for example, found that female office bullies, who commit verbal abuse, sabotage performance or hurt relationships, aim at other women more than 70% of the time. (Male workplace bullies, by contrast, tend to be equal-opportunity offenders, targeting both men and women.)

There are several theories why some women hurt other women in the workplace, but surely this must also apply to men… so lets check out some of the theories

Scarcity:

One is scarcity: there are few spots at the top, so women at higher levels are reluctant to help other women who could potentially usurp them.

D.I.Y Bootstrap Theory:

Another reason a bit more basic is called the “D.I.Y. Bootstrap Theory.” Some women reason that if they had to pull themselves up on their own, why should they help anyone else?

Fear of showing Favoritism;

Women may also be worried about showing favoritism toward other women, so instead, they can end up going too far in the other direction and go out of their way to not help their female colleagues.

Over Emotional:

And then there’s the idea that some women are over-emotional, which leads them to take challenges or criticism personally, hold grudges or get caught up in petty arguments.

The way forward

Becoming simply aware of these habits is not quite enough anymore “If we really want to clear one of the last remaining hurdles to gender parity and career success, let’s start by really understanding how to be resilient, focused, leadership skills, personal wealth management and personal profiling.

Readers, what do you think? If you’re a woman, have you experienced being derailed or undermined at a time of importance both to you career and self-esteem? How did you handle it? Have managers or colleagues been more supportive of your performance or do you feel like games are being played well if your tired of being tired here is a seminar for you…

Five Steps to avoiding being undermined and derailed Seminar 17th February 2015 at the Doubletree Hilton Westminster Hotel.
Five experienced speakers who will focus on:

How can you make yourself be heard without shouting?
Do you feel like you are constantly being derailed?
Are you uncomfortable about how to present yourself in front of a camera?
Do you need clarity on what type of Manager/leader you are?
Are you at that point in your life where you seriously need to carve out a financial haven for the future?

Revealed: How Improved Confidence Brings Powerful Success

group of people

Confidence can be your key to success.

Confidence in Life and Networking can be learned.

Article by Diane Shawe Author

If you don’t have any shadows, you’re not standing in the light.
Lady Gaga

1. Learn to USE YOUR INNER DNA confidence

I feel it’s something that is always there, something you’re born with that gets lost along the way, or stolen by others. Sometimes you have to dig deep to find it again.
Amy Lee Tempest

 When you were born you did not emerge unsure of your cry or insecure about your umbilical cord. You came out unaware of external judgement, concerned only with your own experience and needs. I’m not suggesting that you should be oblivious to other people. It is just that it may help to remember confidence was your original nature before time started chiselling away at it. When you start feeling unsure of yourself remember: we were all born with confidence, and we can all get it back if we learn to silence the thoughts that threaten it.

2. Success WILL HAPPEN

It might seem strange to say expect success since you can’t predict the future, although according to Peter Drucker, ‘the best way to predict the future is invent it’. Conventional wisdom suggests you should expect the worst because then you won’t be disappointed if you fail and you’ll be pleasantly surprised if you succeed. Research suggests this isn’t universally true; pessimism can undermine your performance creating a self-fulfilling prophecy. Find the successes in every day and you will notice over time that they increase.

3. The unknown IS OK

Control is an illusion, you infantile egomaniac. Nobody knows what’s gonna happen next: not on a free way  not in an airplane, not inside our own bodies and certainly not on a racetrack with 40 other infantile egomaniacs.
Nicole Kidman in Days of Thunder (playing Dr Claire Lewinski)

People often think confidence means knowing you can create the outcome you want. To some extent it does, but this idea is not universally true for everyone. Confidence comes from knowing your competence / skills and acknowledging it’s not solely responsible for creating your world. When you take that weight off your shoulders and realise that sometimes the twists and turns have nothing to do with what you did or should have done, it’s easier to feel confident in what you are trying to achieve. Networking becomes easier and you fear.

4. Learn to receive praise.

It’s amazing how easy it is to believe all the negative things people say and yet discredit the positive. Taking a compliment is an art. Sometimes, it’s instinctive to assume they’re just being nice or that maybe you aren’t really skilled—you just got lucky. Occasionally, this may be true, but for the most part you earn the praise you receive. Don’t talk yourself out of believing it. Instead, recycle it into confidence. You did a fantastic job on your project at work-that means you can do it again. You had an amazing performance-that means you can trust you’re talented. Other people want you to succeed; now you just have to believe them when they show you you’re worthy.

5. Practice WILL MAKE YOU MORE confident

The harder you practice, the luckier you get.
Gary Player (Golfer) 1964

Like anything else in life, your confidence will improve with practice. A great opportunity to do this is when you meet new people. Just like if you were the new kid in school, they have no idea who you are—meaning you have an opportunity to show them. As you shake their hand, introduce yourself, and listen to them speak, watch your internal monologue. If you start doubting yourself in your head, replace your thoughts with more confident ones. Ask yourself what a confident person would do, and then try to emulate that. Watch your posture and your tone. Hunching and mumbling will make you feel and look less confident, so stand up and speak slowly and clearly. People are more apt to see you how you want to be seen if they suspect you see yourself that way.

You may have confidence in some areas and not in others; that’s how it works for most of us. Draw from those areas where you’re self-assured. Above all, remember you are talented and have real ability regardless of what mistakes you think you may have made. Start by acknowledging it and it is the first step to believing it in your heart; believing it is the key to living it. Living it is the key to reaching your potential.

Visit amazon for a selection of Diane Shawe Mindfeed books https://www.amazon.co.uk/Diane-Shawe/e/B0052WG8V6