Why did I start writing this blog? Largely due to an off the cuff comment in the office to our team 21 year old assistant which occurred last week. Whilst walking through the office one of the guys on a different team remarked that her boobs looked much bigger in the new top she was wearing and then he actually thanked her for brightening up his day.. in an open office and in earshot of many others who agreed. And you know what? This is a normal everyday conversation that you would hear replicated all over city offices. As a female operating in this environment, commentary with sexual undertones is something that you need to gloss over on a daily basis should you wish to progress. Women who do get upset about such comments are largely boxed off as hysterical sensitive types and due to the OBC the particular offender will be reinforced by his contemporaries. I am convinced however that if I chose to approach any of my male colleagues and say 'I've noticed you are looking very well endowed today, are they new underpants you're wearing?' the reaction would be somewhat different...
There seemingly has to be a reason as to why we still exist in a world where derogatory behaviour to women is not only tolerated, but is actually an endemic part of our cultural make up. It appears that sexism is so ingrained within all of us to a certain degree that although men and women have now been on an equal footing for over 100 years, the mindset hasn't shifted sufficiently. One component of gender portrayal we all unwittingly absorb comes from the media and the continued reinforcement of differentiating us all on the basis of sex. I used 'absorb' purposely as this is the real danger which blocks cultural change... we all subliminally take on beliefs through subtle messages which are constantly foist upon us. And nothing portrays this more than the new Nissan Micra advert - Advert Link!
Obviously a female having to chair a meeting in a scary boardroom, full of scary men is way too intimidating for her to deal with, so the poor little lamb has to resort to lowering their seats so that she feels confident enough to address the board (who naturally are depicted as a group of greying white suited men).. you see my point? And this is an advert. For a car. Although worth adding that the clever marketeers who put this together as a situation which could be achieved as the car is so quick (I'm sure maybe not missing your flight home for Christmas could have been a better example) are working for Japanese company - Japan being notorious for it's lack of female presence on executive boards. And, would this advert work with a man being the lead part? No. It's playing on the gender bias and moreover it doesn't even register to most of us how highly sexist this is as the bias is so instilled in us!
I happened upon another article earlier which is a new theory as to how women can make it to the top - the strapline providing most of it's content: The secret to promotion for women? Well cut jeans and looking attractive… but avoid raising your voice and Powerpoint presentations, says new book. Article Link! It is however the male comments which have interested me the most:
Saturday 28 June 2014
Wednesday 25 June 2014
Male (Im)Penetration!
This blog is largely my own observations about forging out a career in a workplace where men outnumber women 2:1. Let me paint the scene a little further.. working stereotypes are very much apparent - the vast majority of companies are filled with white middle class men ( then white middle class women), minorities are still exactly that and gender follows the traditional roles... women still populate the HR departments ,whilst men dominate most city executive boards.
So, what reasons are there that 1 square mile in London stoically refuses to embrace any form of workplace change? Whilst there are several aspects of this question I could discuss, I am going to start with what I like to call the Old Boys Club. The OBC. The city equivalent of 'out with the boys' . In my view, men who work in the city have seemingly not been able to shake off their tarzan jungle roots and like to work seamlessly together in absolutely impenetrable clusters, the power of which cannot be underestimated.
These clusters begin when men first enter the work place in their early 20s and quickly establish a peer group.I say 'establish' the reality being a 2 hour visit to the pub, every lunchtime, over 3 pints of wife beater (Stella) discussing the latest football scores or when the next corporate golf day is. Clearly, women are also entering the workplace at the same time. Do the same rules apply? Absoluement non! The chances of an invite to this secret drinking club are remote and if it magically has been forthcoming, even if you are the most sports savvy, fun loving, beer swilling woman going, penetrating this group on the same basis is out of the question (If you happen to be attractive to boot it is nigh on impossible!). Alas most men can't seem to get beyond the gender barrier.. the same level of trust is not apparent and the loose speak of who they would most like to bang in the office will be moderated on your arrival.. unless you've crossed the line into geezer bird territory*. Geezer bird territory can only be achieved by knowing lesser league football players, drinking / smoking at the same level, probably being a bit fat (to negate the attractiveness) and is actually a marker that you are fundamentally unshaggable to them. But still the most dark secrets will be kept from you.
As time moves on, members of the group progress in their careers and may have moved on through 2 or 3 employers. A massively important phase for the OBC as it means... tentacles. And tentacles mean a network. A network all round the city! And this means most importantly to the OBC, protection. And once a state of protection is reached the members are only interested in looking after each other in all aspects of working life... promotions, long lunches, expenses, covering each other's arses etc etc etc. Handily also for the OBC in making their network even stronger is that plenty of women in the city exit the workplace during this phase to start families.. and do not return.
It's a interesting fact that it was only in 1972 that women were first allowed into the underwriting room into Lloyd's of London.. it doesn't take a brain scientist to work out that there are a large number of men still working in the city who worked at Lloyds at this time. Therefore having to 'deal' with women in the workplace is a fairly recent phenomenon to many of those approaching retirement.I am regularly regaled with stories of the good old days in the late 80s and early 90s when drinking laws meant that most of the watering holes were private members clubs where men would go to each lunchtime and emerge some time later to run back to their boxes so their mates could bring the business which filled the coffers to enable this cycle to continue. And largely this hasn't changed. A known expression of 'deals on the back of fag packet' were just that... cos folk were too pissed to go back to work to do the sign off.
On a daily basis I see these clusters at work and the way the younger network are championed by the older network... leaving their legacy in a safe pair of hands. These hands are seldom female ones due to the above behaviours. I, along with a good pal, have been drinking in and around a certain cluster for over TEN years now... they are all great fun, know a good deal of our lives in and outside of the city and look out for us. But they are IMPENETRABLE - the inner secrets are never divulged to us and usually we find out 12 months later and guffaw when it emerges one of them has been carrying on with someone we know for the last 3 years in some sort of torrid affair. If you don't have a dick, you can't be trusted, see.
So what weapons do career minded females have at their disposal to fight these networks with? Enter stage right.. yep, the lowest common denominators - Looks and sex and what these actually provide.. manipulation. More of which in the next post...
So, what reasons are there that 1 square mile in London stoically refuses to embrace any form of workplace change? Whilst there are several aspects of this question I could discuss, I am going to start with what I like to call the Old Boys Club. The OBC. The city equivalent of 'out with the boys' . In my view, men who work in the city have seemingly not been able to shake off their tarzan jungle roots and like to work seamlessly together in absolutely impenetrable clusters, the power of which cannot be underestimated.
These clusters begin when men first enter the work place in their early 20s and quickly establish a peer group.I say 'establish' the reality being a 2 hour visit to the pub, every lunchtime, over 3 pints of wife beater (Stella) discussing the latest football scores or when the next corporate golf day is. Clearly, women are also entering the workplace at the same time. Do the same rules apply? Absoluement non! The chances of an invite to this secret drinking club are remote and if it magically has been forthcoming, even if you are the most sports savvy, fun loving, beer swilling woman going, penetrating this group on the same basis is out of the question (If you happen to be attractive to boot it is nigh on impossible!). Alas most men can't seem to get beyond the gender barrier.. the same level of trust is not apparent and the loose speak of who they would most like to bang in the office will be moderated on your arrival.. unless you've crossed the line into geezer bird territory*. Geezer bird territory can only be achieved by knowing lesser league football players, drinking / smoking at the same level, probably being a bit fat (to negate the attractiveness) and is actually a marker that you are fundamentally unshaggable to them. But still the most dark secrets will be kept from you.
As time moves on, members of the group progress in their careers and may have moved on through 2 or 3 employers. A massively important phase for the OBC as it means... tentacles. And tentacles mean a network. A network all round the city! And this means most importantly to the OBC, protection. And once a state of protection is reached the members are only interested in looking after each other in all aspects of working life... promotions, long lunches, expenses, covering each other's arses etc etc etc. Handily also for the OBC in making their network even stronger is that plenty of women in the city exit the workplace during this phase to start families.. and do not return.
It's a interesting fact that it was only in 1972 that women were first allowed into the underwriting room into Lloyd's of London.. it doesn't take a brain scientist to work out that there are a large number of men still working in the city who worked at Lloyds at this time. Therefore having to 'deal' with women in the workplace is a fairly recent phenomenon to many of those approaching retirement.I am regularly regaled with stories of the good old days in the late 80s and early 90s when drinking laws meant that most of the watering holes were private members clubs where men would go to each lunchtime and emerge some time later to run back to their boxes so their mates could bring the business which filled the coffers to enable this cycle to continue. And largely this hasn't changed. A known expression of 'deals on the back of fag packet' were just that... cos folk were too pissed to go back to work to do the sign off.
On a daily basis I see these clusters at work and the way the younger network are championed by the older network... leaving their legacy in a safe pair of hands. These hands are seldom female ones due to the above behaviours. I, along with a good pal, have been drinking in and around a certain cluster for over TEN years now... they are all great fun, know a good deal of our lives in and outside of the city and look out for us. But they are IMPENETRABLE - the inner secrets are never divulged to us and usually we find out 12 months later and guffaw when it emerges one of them has been carrying on with someone we know for the last 3 years in some sort of torrid affair. If you don't have a dick, you can't be trusted, see.
So what weapons do career minded females have at their disposal to fight these networks with? Enter stage right.. yep, the lowest common denominators - Looks and sex and what these actually provide.. manipulation. More of which in the next post...
Friday 20 June 2014
Is the city sexist?
It is 2014. Since graduating, I have always worked in the city. Moreover, I have always wanted a career. And, guess what? I have one! Over the last 15 years I have navigated my way through the sticky, grimy world that is corporate life. And corporate nightlife.I'm lucky enough to live and work in London at a time when the workplace is a level playing field for anyone that chooses to enter it. Or so I thought.... Of late I have been musing over many aspects of my career, the good, the bad and where I am headed and the recurring theme to many of my frustrations is this... I am female. It's like a boomerang which keeps flying back in my direction and this has me thinking... are institutions like Lloyds of London, London Stock Exchange or Canary Wharf real and thriving bastions of overt sexism?
Like many of my contemporaries I had a very good education, gained a degree from the all important 'red brick uni' and entered the workplace at the beginning of the noughties. At the age of 21 I firmly believed that the sexes were judged equally and that your career would be moulded by your demonstrated ability and the potential you showed for further development.
Why, then, do I now think the complete opposite? As time has moved on and my career has progressed I have been operating under an illusion that 100 years into female emancipation the city had accepted women in the workplace on a true and equal footing. What complete and utter bullshit! The city is about as emancipated as a chastity belt and this blog will aim to show through anecdotes and discussion how backwards it is.... From 'old school' professional men who excitedly race to work at 9am on a Monday morning as the first lunch of the week is only 3 hours away with their inner clique they've drunk with week in, week out for the last 30 years to 'relationship development' lunches with men who think you being friendly and engaging means a guaranteed shag after 3 hours, this blog will highlight how being female and having a serious career in this environment is a very tricky navigation...
Like many of my contemporaries I had a very good education, gained a degree from the all important 'red brick uni' and entered the workplace at the beginning of the noughties. At the age of 21 I firmly believed that the sexes were judged equally and that your career would be moulded by your demonstrated ability and the potential you showed for further development.
Why, then, do I now think the complete opposite? As time has moved on and my career has progressed I have been operating under an illusion that 100 years into female emancipation the city had accepted women in the workplace on a true and equal footing. What complete and utter bullshit! The city is about as emancipated as a chastity belt and this blog will aim to show through anecdotes and discussion how backwards it is.... From 'old school' professional men who excitedly race to work at 9am on a Monday morning as the first lunch of the week is only 3 hours away with their inner clique they've drunk with week in, week out for the last 30 years to 'relationship development' lunches with men who think you being friendly and engaging means a guaranteed shag after 3 hours, this blog will highlight how being female and having a serious career in this environment is a very tricky navigation...
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