Are women raised to be quiet? I just caught a fascinating Today Show piece on why women don’t speak up at work. The study showed that women are biologically wired to dumb themselves down in group settings. When applied to the modern workplace it seems that our brain chemistry is putting us at a disadvantage. It makes sense that our thought process is affected in this way given that women in our society are brought up from very early ages to take care of others, looping our self-esteem into how well we feel we’re taking care of other people rather than ourselves. We’re not taught to compete or speak up in the same ways that men are and I agree with Ivanka Trump that women are often labeled from a very early age as shy, timid, quiet and demure. She’s right when she says that we shouldn’t label our children, regardless of their gender. What this study really shows is it’s important for women to be aware of our biology but to be mindful of what we’re telling ourselves to avoid letting it get the better of us in our careers. The next time you feel shy in a meeting, take a moment to acknowledge that what you’re feeling is natural, but it’s not necessarily giving you the right feedback about your intelligence or abilities.
