In today’s world, unconscious biases can affect our decision-making processes and impact our success in the workplace. In this podcast episode, Jen Smollett, an Authenticity and Leadership Coach, discusses three common biases that affect women in the workplace. Motherhood bias, kindness bias, and the tightrope penalty can hamper women’s success in different ways. Jen emphasises that it’s not just men who have unconscious biases about women; women also have biases that can affect other women in the workplace.
Jen offers three steps to control our biases: awareness, reflection, and compassion. We must be aware of our biases, reflect on them, and show compassion towards ourselves and others to create a more inclusive workplace. Jen also emphasises the importance of authenticity in leadership and encourages everyone to lead in a way that is true to themselves.
To overcome self-doubt and imposter syndrome, Jen suggests identifying core values. Being authentic to one’s core values is critical to being a successful leader.
Jen suggests three steps for overcoming biases and achieving success in the workplace: identifying your values, questioning what you were taught as a child, and seeing people as unique individuals. She also encourages viewers to be clear about what they want and to avoid apologising when asking for something.
Finally, Jen discusses her coaching services, including one-to-one coaching tailored to individual needs and a group coaching programme called “The Unstoppable Leader.” She also offers a free virtual session, “The Leadership Lounge,” for women leaders to discuss topics related to women in the workplace. Jen emphasises the power of women coming together and supporting each other.
In conclusion, by being aware of our biases, reflecting on them, and showing compassion, we can take control of our biases and create a more inclusive workplace. Being true to our core values and clear on what we want can help us overcome self-doubt and imposter syndrome. And finally, by supporting each other and coming together, we can achieve authenticity and success in the workplace.
Enjoyed this conversation? Then don’t forget to tune in to this additional conversation we had with Jen about how to bring your authentic self to work.
Timestamps:
Overview of Unconscious Biases [00:00:57] Jen Smollett explains unconscious biases and how they impact women’s success in the workplace.
Motherhood Bias [00:05:18] Jen Smollett discusses how the motherhood bias affects women in the workplace, including non-mothers. She shares an example of a woman who missed out on a promotion because of her status as a mother.
Kindness Bias [not mentioned] and Tightrope Penalty [00:05:14] Jen briefly mentions the other two biases that affect women in the workplace: kindness bias and tightrope penalty.
Motherhood Bias [00:07:39] The impact of motherhood bias on women’s success in the workplace, and how women who are not mothers feel their lives outside of work are not seen as important.
Kindness Bias [00:08:44] The feedback given to women in the workplace is often kind but not actionable, making it less helpful for them to improve themselves. Also, feedback given to black students is inflated, making it less actionable as well.
Tightrope Penalty [00:10:55] Women in leadership are judged against how leaders are imagined to be, whilst being judged on their gender, constantly balancing between being competent and warm, assertive but still kind and collaborative. The importance of finding the most authentic way to lead.
Reflection [00:16:05] Jen Smollett discusses the importance of reflecting on unconscious biases and how they can help make better decisions.
Overcoming Imposter Syndrome [00:19:17] Jen discusses the importance of knowing one’s core values to overcome imposter syndrome and become more authentic at work.
Identifying Core Values [00:22:04] Jen Mullet shares a three-step process to identify one’s core values, including reflecting on happy and frustrating situations.
Supporting Women in the Workplace [00:24:57] Discussion on how male colleagues can support women in overcoming biases and creating inclusive workplaces.
Balancing Assertiveness and Perceptions [00:26:15] Strategies for women to be assertive without being perceived as bossy, including knowing what they want and asking without apologising.
Breaking Through Barriers to Achieve Success [00:28:13] Effective strategies for overcoming barriers and achieving success in careers include clarity about values, authenticity, confidence, and resilience.
Coaching Programs [00:31:07] Jen talks about her coaching programs, including one-to-one coaching and a group coaching program called “The Unstoppable Leader.”
Leadership Lounge [00:31:59] Jen offers a free virtual session, “The Leadership Lounge,” once a month for women leaders to connect and discuss workplace issues.
Conclusion and Thanks [00:32:54] Elizabeth thanks Jen Smollett for discussing workplace bias and thanks the viewers for tuning in.