1/ So somewhat related to last night& #39;s debate, but a broader discussion: Women do get talked over in meetings. It& #39;s common. It& #39;s easy to help stop that.
2/ My male colleagues have always been my allies. Years ago, when I was running a large project for developing a fairly complex software-driven electromechanical device (20+ engineers), we had a meeting with the Fortune 500 client. Abt 10 people in the room, I was the only woman.
3/ I was the furthest from the door, 2nd most senior in room, yet when the client walked in he looked around the room & thrust a stack of docs at me & said & #39;here sweetheart, we need copies of this for everyone& #39;.https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="😂" title="Gesicht mit FreudentrĂ€nen" aria-label="Emoji: Gesicht mit FreudentrĂ€nen">
4/ What did I do? I got up to make the damn copies, because the goal wasn& #39;t to make sure I was being treated as an equal, but rather to keep the client happy. Swallowed my tongue, smiled, and walked out to make the damn copies.
5/ I& #39;m at the copier mumbling to myself & 30 seconds later, the most senior person in the room (VP of R&D) elbowed me aside. Randel took the docs from me, said & #39;Get back in the room, you& #39;re needed there more than I am& #39;. https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="♄" title="Herz" aria-label="Emoji: Herz">
6/ After I& #39;d left the room, he& #39;d fixed the problem: He said to the room & #39;I& #39;ll go make the copies, we need her here& #39;.

The client was educated without being embarrassed, my position was underscored, things proceeded as they should.
7/ Now if I& #39;d said & #39;How dare he ask me to make copies!!!& #39;, I know plenty of men would have said & #39;Oh geez, we& #39;re all asked to make copies sometimes& #39; to invalidate the experience. I would have been & #39;overly sensitive, maybe that time for month or something.& #39;
8/ But because a VP noticed it and responded, everyone took it seriously.

So in the workplace, notice if your female colleagues are being sidelined. It& #39;s really easy for you to help fix the problem without requiring them to always be the one to speak up.
9/ Side note: My son had a female mgr & he was frustrated because she was always irritated w people after meetings. I suggested to him that he just tell her that he was unaware when she was being sidelined, but that if she signaled him, he was there for her & would step in.
10/ Basically he was telling her that he was her ally. So they had a signal, there were times he saw he should step in. But another thing happened: He was able to hold an open discussion with her about her sometimes faulty perceptions because he established she could trust him.
11/ And he, of course, became more sensitive to the micro agressions that women experience every day.

Typed all this because we& #39;re all in this together. Help your female colleagues, listen to what they& #39;re telling you. You have wives, mothers, daughters ... Be that ally. https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="♄" title="Herz" aria-label="Emoji: Herz">
12/ Aww, one more story (because one of the people is here on twitter, a fellow Roadster owner - he might not even remember, but I do). It was very early in my career.
13/ Meeting w a hardware vendor plus me, & my two male engineering colleagues. I& #39;d ask a question. The vendor would look at Howard or @photoSteveZ & answer. I& #39;d patiently ask another question. Repeat.
14/ Steve finally said & #39;She& #39;s asking the questions, why are you looking at me? Answer HER& #39;. https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="😂" title="Gesicht mit FreudentrĂ€nen" aria-label="Emoji: Gesicht mit FreudentrĂ€nen"> (Thanks Steve. That made my day that day.)

... And that, folks, is how you let your female colleagues know you value them.
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