All along, in every field, the number of women entering the leadership has not exceeded the 30% mark. Even in the fields of education and medical care where there are more female practitioners, the people at the BOSS level are still men.

Therefore, the difficulty of promotion for women is often brought up. "Glass ceiling" is no longer an academic term, but a familiar term.

Well, as a career counselor, Sister Weihaoyou thinks that it doesn't make much sense to answer that it is difficult for women to be promoted, or to disagree. I think it's more practical to explore the causes and find solutions.

First, it is widely believed that men are better suited to be leaders.

Because everyone's imagination of leadership is - strong, able to carry things, have a sense of responsibility, but this is far from the truth.

First, the roles and styles of leadership are diverse, authoritative leadership, relational leadership, free-range leadership... Think back to your career or student leadership experience, have you encountered any of these types of leaders? If you haven't stepped into the workplace, you can also think about the class teacher and successful class teacher during your schooling. Are they all the same model, are they all strong men? Obviously not.

We can look at it again through the lens of gender role scales. Research shows that the leadership style of most men is masculine, but what about women leaders? You might not expect that most female leaders are androgynous, and this management style is often more likely to be successful.

The psychological concept of androgyny is divided into two types: one is from the perspective of developmental psychology, which reflects the combination or unity of the psychological characteristics of the two sexes caused by physiological differences, such as "the psychological characteristics of masculinity and femininity at the same time" . And a lot of research has shown that people who have both traditional temperaments at the same time have better resilience and social rewards.

Although social prejudice still exists, focusing on specific fields, we can see a lot of gratifying progress. I have been in contact with or worked in investment banking and consulting fields because of my work relationship, and there are a large number of female leaders in these fields. Traditionally considered unsuitable for women to enter. But society is changing faster than we think, and the more advanced the field, the more it can accept new ideas and achieve gender inclusion.

Second, the difficulty of promotion often occurs in the early stage.

(The picture is from the report "Women_in_the_Workplace_2019" issued by McKinsey)

Back to the question of promotion, the topic of promotion itself is more complicated. The difficulty of personal promotion varies according to the industry and position. We only focus on the gender factor. The "glass ceiling" phenomenon in China is different. The promotion of junior positions is where the gap between men and women really widens.

According to McKinsey's 2019 report, we can see that in the promotion of junior management positions, women are obviously inferior to men, but the difference in promotion after that is not that big, and men and women are almost equal. In 2019, the "Gender Gap" report released by Boss Zhipin also mentioned: In the gender pay gap reports in the workplace over the years, it is mentioned that the pay gap between men and women will gradually widen with the increase of working years . The 10-year period presents two obvious turning points .

Therefore, it is extremely important for women to seize the opportunity for promotion at the beginning of their career, that is, after three years of employment.

Third, get rid of the sticky floor when entering the workplace and build leadership.

First, develop negotiating skills.

The concept of consultation: You believe that you have the decision-making authority over the matter, and see that it affects others. This means two points: first, you have an opinion, and second, you are willing to discuss with relevant people, and in the process of discussion, you can compromise and insist. This is called consultation. For example, I have tutored girls. Whether it is career choice or job transfer, you have to ask your parents, or your boyfriend, or just follow the circumstances and let others make the decision. This is not opinionated. I have also coached another type of girls, and had a break-up conversation with their family and boss about their goals, "I don't care if you will promise me", which is not a good gesture to talk about things.

How to build negotiation capacity, here are the specific steps.

1. Keep relevant people informed. Specifically, you should actively let your family know about your work performance, and seriously tell your family the value of your work, your sense of accomplishment, and important arrangements (such as why you have this business trip, why you have to work overtime for a few days from tomorrow), and slowly Build a base of consultation with your family. And your work experience and family status can also be actively communicated with the boss, and maintaining transparency and trust with the boss is the basis for employees to survive. If your position has a strong pivot, such as administration and operations, you should also maintain communication with employees in various departments. For example, after I gave birth, I would communicate with my boss: My mother would come to help me take care of the child, so I had no problem traveling to work, but my mother came from the countryside and was illiterate, so when it comes to going to the hospital, I would Gotta take time off.

2. Express yourself softly and firmly. The firm is the opinion, the soft is the way. The softness here is not only about how polite and humble you are, but about my insistence on communicating rationally with you. For example, your boss asks you to talk about your recent work experience. Don’t be vague, but really have ideas and feedback. For example, if you need the support and understanding of your family, you should explain what your current job means to you and express your gratitude. For example, if there is a situation at home that requires your time, you should seriously ask your boss for understanding, and take the initiative to express your work arrangements.

3. Take the initiative to take credit in front of the boss. We interviewed many executives, and everyone generally reported that one of the problems of female career development is that female students do not take credit. Kaishi Matsui, vice chairman of Goldman Sachs Japan, has shared the "worst advice" he's ever gotten: " When I was just starting out as an analyst, I was told that as long as you're 'put your head down and keep a low profile, you'll have a bright future. ' That It's literally the worst advice I've ever received as a woman starting out. But when I first started, the idea that someone was going to promote you was pretty common."

She advises young women not only focus on doing their job well, but also get involved in activities to build a network and make executives aware of your work. In addition to excelling in your personal work, women also need to find mentors, connect with others in the company, and share achievements. In the past, girls always waited for praise and recognition with anticipation after doing their own work, instead of actively telling others "see how well I did". Learn to take credit, and it is possible for leaders to give you support, space, and resources. Newbies in the workplace may not know how to take credit. Here are some suggestions:

• First of all, the work is traced, and there are records, reports and returns. Even if the company does not require monthly and weekly reports, you should actively record your own work, so that you can easily get credit when you want to take credit.
• Secondly, speaking at a meeting, a meeting speech is a good opportunity to expose.

Second, expand the circle.

Let's see what kind of people adapt quickly and get promoted quickly in the workplace? They are often people who are good at participating in discussions and actively joining the platform. They can continue to expand their circles and actively seek support.

When it comes to circles, think about it, when you encounter difficulties in majors, jobs, choices, and interpersonal relationships, can someone consult and have an in-depth discussion with you?

A girl I tutored said to me: After working for two years, I had a lot of confusion about my career and love, so I started to think hard, and then I found that no one could talk to me about a topic in depth - my classmates are no longer there. Contact, colleagues are just nodding acquaintances. I have also mentored some girls, but I did not dare to tell the leaders when I encountered difficulties, and I left silently for a few months because of my grievances, and there was no one to discuss this process. This is because their circles cannot provide lasting support for themselves.

How to expand the circle? How to gain a firm foothold in the workplace, especially for newcomers who have just joined the company? I have two specific suggestions.

First, get involved in the discussion. When you participate in formal or informal meetings, when encountering work discussions, do not stray from the outside, but take the initiative to participate. In the process of discussion, the relationship between people is established faster. When someone has a deep discussion with you, it's easier for you to support each other.

Second, actively participate in the platform. If your company has a lot of interest groups, or the leader will organize a temporary working group, then actively participate on the basis of completing your own work. These platform groups can give you more horizontal social networking opportunities, as well as more information and face brushing opportunities. If you have talent, you can also participate more in the company's annual meetings and celebrations.

In short, it is difficult for girls to get promoted, but there is a way to go.