“Maybe women are just as ambitious as men, so try asking them.”
In a recent Legal Times article, Lorelie Masters, president of the Women’s Bar Association of the District of Columbia, addressed the assumption that women lawyers’ failure to progress in the legal profession is attributable to their own lack of ambition. Ms. Masters dismisses the tendency of law firms to shift all blame to departing female lawyers because they personally choose family over career. She entertains the idea that perhaps a number of female lawyers desire to stay at their firms but are ultimately pushed out by the cumulative hidden barriers and a “veiled sexism” in the workplace characterized by low expectations from their male counterparts. The inevitable repercussions are women getting pushed to the sidelines and bypassed for key assignments and growth opportunities. Are female lawyers’ careers being derailed for them to some extent by their presumptuous male managers who expect their careers will voluntarily take a backseat to motherhood and work-life balance?
Giving Notice’s story of Kristen, a young newlywed woman from rural America who works diligently to build a successful career at her male-dominated company, depicts the types of sexism and barriers alluded to by Ms. Masters. Kristen’s hopes of being recognized as a valuable contributor based on her quality performance and achievements are weathered by the constant challenge to overcome double standards in the workplace (e.g., self-promotion and visibility are vital for competitors, but pose specific challenges for women due to biases against “overly assertive” female personalities). The reality of Kristen’s experience, like many women who are unfairly assumed to be a potentially weaker link, is that she isn’t truly treated as an equal to many of her male peers who are more readily lauded and rewarded for their efforts and ideas, provided more direct feedback on performance assessments, and more likely to be selected for leadership roles and challenging client assignments. Despite her best efforts, Kristen inevitably finds herself discouraged and disadvantaged to the point of leaving the company.
The book outlines pragmatic measures employers should take to ensure an inclusive and fair work environment, such as conducting regular focus groups to promote dialogue, confidential surveys for employee feedback, and system audits to examine organizational bias and improve policies and procedures. When considering companies, prospective employees can take proactive measures by developing a thorough list of job related criteria along key issues (e.g., daily worklife, firm culture and values, etc.) for research and evaluation purposes. Prospective female employees who are concerned with the corporate culture of male dominated companies should ask for candid feedback and draw from the experiences of women who currently work or have worked for those companies.
