Are You the de Facto Office Secretary? How to Deal
We’ve all been there, haven’t we? In situations where you’re the sole woman in a sea of dudes, it’s those of us with boobs who are expected to order the supplies, brew the coffee, clean the fridge, pick up after the party, and on and on….
Well, today the San Diego Union Tribune offers a little advice:
Don’t focus on the sexism but rather on the fairness — or lack thereof, says Christine Probett, a professor of human resources at San Diego State University and former executive at Goodrich.
In the case of taking meeting notes, Probett recommends you say something like: “Sure, I’ll do it this time, but we should rotate the task.”
It kinda reminds us of the job wheel we had in college. It worked then, sort of, so it seems like a logical approach. It’s a little unfortunate, though, that this response doesn’t get anyone to start paying closer attention to their biases and expectations. But maybe we sound, as the article mentions, like “a petty grouch.” Maybe the key to equity is in tackling the practical, not the theoretical. Maybe the job wheel is a better tool in the battle than any women’s studies class.
