Be the man. This one’s for all the women trying to be “good girls” for fear of what others will say. One of my favorite Taylor Swift songs she played Sunday night is “If I Were a Man.” The song is about how Swift’s life is judged compared to men in similar positions. It’s a song that many women can relate to.
As much as we’d like to believe that women are treated equally in the workplace, this is not the case. According to the Department of Labor, on average, women working full time, year-round, are paid 83.7% of what men are paid, although women have more years of education than men. Women are most certainly judged differently in the workplace and life. Men are considered assertive, while women are called aggressive. Men are promoted on potential, while women are promoted based on performance. Women fare better in some organizations than others. If you’re a woman and have to work twice as hard as your male colleagues, take action. Know your value and be prepared to take your show on the road if, like Swift, you’re sick of running as fast as you can. Wondering if you’d get there quicker if you were a man.
