I cannot tell you how many times, when mentoring and coaching women, they have said, “I was the only woman in the room.” In so many male-dominated industries and workplaces, this is still often the case. We discuss this over and over during our “Women Who Mean Business” courses at the University of Texas McCombs School of Business.
Recently, on a diplomatic trip to Mexico, I was the proverbial only woman at the table. You can see me in the photo above at a dinner meeting with highly successful businessmen, representing Texas and Mexico. You will also note that I am seated right in the middle of the table, not perched at the end!
Through the years, I have developed some guiding principles around these situations.
Here are just a few of them:
In my experience, if you follow these principles, most of your worries and problems will go away. This also applies to a new employee (male or female) or a younger person in the room. Remember, if you have an obligation to participate, you cannot be offended by the microaggression of not being asked.
Taking a seat at the table!
Gay Gaddis
Founder. Author. Artist. Trailblazer.
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