It’s Not Just a Man’s World

It’s Not Just a Man’s World Katy Pelton Maggie guzman Sam Houston State University Texas A&m university SWACUHO 2018 san marcos, texas

A Little About Us Katy Pelton Assistant Director for Residence Life Facilities Maintenance – Administration Sam Houston State University Maggie Guzman Coordinator for Risk Management Texas A&M University

What Brings You Here? What are you hoping to gain from being here today?

Some Research • Women with low interpersonal confidence are not likely to enter a male-dominate field • Women may have to work on debunking historical and stereotypical gender roles • Need to include a statement about our qualitative research • Once in a male-dominated field, working with other females may be different • Two key factors contributing to women choosing not to work in male dominated fields are lack of support from colleagues and lack of equal pay • Sometimes women get less credit than their male counterparts for the same work

Have you ever felt marginalized? “…[older male colleagues] will say things like, ‘go bat your eyes and talk to them’ when we’re trying to get someone to do something for us…it does occasionally bother me because I feel like they are diminishing my success in my professional capacity.” “I have been ‘man-splained” to more than once by someone who doesn’t like my decision. I was also once introduced as be the person there to take notes, when in reality I had a much larger role in the decision-making that was taking place around that particular topic.” “I have been spoken to condescendingly several times by people who didn’t think I knew what I was talking about.” “Sometimes women, when having to give a directive, are wrongly described as the ‘B’ word when their male counterparts in the same situation would not be looked at like that.” “All the time. I’ve been referred to as meter maid. In meetings related to energy and/or metering I have been cut off. I have been kept out of the loop on projects….” “There are still some men who will only view me as a secretary and diminish my role and what I am capable of.”

Have you ever felt like you had to work harder than male colleagues? “I do feel like I work hard to constantly prove that I am a professional in the field and not ‘just a pretty face.’” “I feel like I have to be more aware of workplace politics. There are definitely someone men who don’t respond well to a strong, capable woman, so I have to be able to read that quickly and change tactics when working with them.” “Yes. Sometimes there is the good ole boys club when it comes to delegating responsibilities or considering individuals for projects. When you are the only one not considered/passed up, it calls into question if the reason is gender.” “The few times I faced a situation where someone didn’t think I was up to the work at hand, I was able to prove myself and took care of the issue. I was respected for being willing to stay on the problem…even if it meant long hours in the sun or cold.” “Yes. I was explaining to a PM what documentation would be needed from one of his projects. His comment was, ‘you know I will misbehave.’ Unacceptable comment. I had to send him several emails reminding him of the information that was required.”

What are the challenges you face? “There are times when I am discounted in repair recommendations, even thought I have seen the issue multiple times.” “Balancing work with family is a huge challenge for me daily, and one that I know my male colleagues don’t think about nearly as often as I do.” “I feel like I have to explain and rationalize my decisions more than men do to reassure whomever I’m speaking with that I made the decision logically, since women are usually thought of as making decisions from an emotional place.” “Men and women have a different way of looking at a problem…so leaning to communicate in a positive and effective way is one of the biggest challenges.” “Making sure I have the correct type of shoe stashed in my office. I may be in a conference room meeting in the morning and in a mechanical room after lunch.” “As a mom who…has to take off to deal with kids…it is often frowned upon, angered, frustrated and annoyed my male co-workers…it’s expected of their wives…but for me as a female employee it’s never ideal.” “I recently asked for classes to assume a [professional certificate] and the first question was, ‘why do you want to get educated and leave here…’ I’ve asked [about] the possibility of a raise…I get told it’s up to his supervisor but I feel about 99% sure he’s never brought it up to his supervisor. But I have seen him go to bat for a couple of guys in the office and have gotten them raises and job title changes.”

How has being a woman in your work impacted your non-work life? “[At professional conferences]…the expectation is that the groups hang out after hours. Being one of the only females in the group can be a challenge if your significant other does not understand the work dynamics.” “Some family members have voiced concern because most of the coworkers I refer to are male.” “I find it hard to deal with groups that are female-dominant, like the PTO at school, because my communication style has changed so much through my work experience.” “There have been times when my spouse has been jealous with regard to me working with so many men. It is very important to keep work relationships very professional.” “I have a good understanding of construction and the mechanical operations of a central plant. Socially, men don’t seem to comprehend a women that can engage in conversation related to construction.”

Some More Research • According to Fortune, ways women can “break through in male-dominated fields” include: • Walk into work each day with confidence • Have an unwavering work ethic • Conduct yourself with dignity, integrity, and grace • Have a continued passion for your work • Other suggestions include: • Join a women’s group in the field of work • Network with women in the same field, or with men who support women in the field • Conduct yourself with dignity, integrity, and grace • Male managers can be more empathetic to the work-life balance challenges women face

What is rewarding about your job? “I have a much deeper relationship with the women in my field [because] we look to each other during major emergencies…and try to support each other.” “The biggest reward for me personally is that I am much more confident and assertive now, which I feel like my children recognize and benefit from. My hope is that my daughter will learn that it’s okay to be a strong woman and that my son will grow up respecting strong women.” “I think the rewards of being a woman in my role is that I provide a different perspective.” “Being part of change.” “The few women I work with I think we are closer than I would be working with all women. We tend to stick together…because we understand each other more than the guys understand us.”

How have you felt supported in your role? “My supervisor has always been extremely supportive. He has always made sure to put me into situations that help me grow…and he has always been quick to share my work with high-level administrators.” “[Supervisor] is understanding of the challenges of being a working mother…[and] allows me flexibility in my work schedule because he knows I work the weekends…to make sure the work gets done.” “I have a much deeper relationship with the few women in my field…[we] try to support each other…when we see that the other is struggling.” “My maintenance guys are rooting for me to continue advancing in my career and they always encourage me.” “My boss is amazing…he backs me up, but doesn’t fight my battles for me, especially with male colleagues who try to intimidate me.”

How have you felt supported in your role? “I feel like my supervisor has been a little more intentional in helping me establish myself in my role…he regularly refers people to me and defers to my opinion in meetings before expressing his own.” “My supervisor gives me space to be a mom when I need to, and has never made a disparaging statement about working moms.” “One older, much more experienced colleague really makes me feel supported by seeking my input on things when our areas intersect.” “I was fortunate to have professors, mostly male, who valued having women enter the field and were great mentors.” “The man who hired me…would share books related to energy and energy savings.”

What advice would you give another woman? “Don’t dumb yourself down around men. Be confident in what you know and don’t downplay that to protect someone’s ego.” “Listen and learn. Learn people’s personalities and cater to them when you interact or address situation.” “Learn to advocate for yourself, and don’t be afraid to do it.” “Don’t let a few closed-minded individuals discourage you. Know that you belong.” “Always be professional and confident. Don’t be afraid to say you don’t know something, but at the same time, be ready to research and learn and ask questions.” “Be strong…don’t take everything personally…and stand your ground. Know that [your] hard work and good job will not really be acknowledged. You will often feel unappreciated, but you will learn [in time] how men show their appreciation.” “Know your business. Don’t use your cute to accomplish the job.”

What advice would you give someone who wants to be an ally for a woman in a male-dominated field? “Focus on empowering women through training and continuing education opportunities.” “Create and foster a positive workspace. Don’t make disparaging comments about women, and call others out when they do it.” “Trust her to do the job she was hired to do. Don’t undermine her in public.” “Don’t treat them like there is something they can’t do because of being a woman, such as going into a crawl space, getting on a roof, etc.” “Look for ways to put the staff member ‘up-front’ at meetings and events. This sends the message that they are the responsible decision maker – not you.” “Make sure to ask their opinion…don’t assume [they] would take the same approach as you. You will be surprised at how often the female approach is different than the male approach – but just as valid – and many times better.”

Helpful Resources Gaines, Janelle. Women in Male-Dominated Careers. Cornell HR Review. http://www.cornellhrreview.org/women-in-male-dominated-careers/ Chen, J. M., & Moons, W. G. (2015). They won’t listen to me: Anticipated power and women’s disinterest in male-dominated domains. Group Process & Intergroup Relations, (18)1, 116-128. Grunert, M. L., Bodner, G. M. (2011). Underneath it all: Gender role identification and women chemist’ career choices. Science Education International, (22)4, 292-301. Wright, T. (2016). Women’s experience of workplace interactions in male-dominated work: The intersections of gender, sexuality, and occupational group. Gender, Work, and Organization, (23)3, 348-362. Blount, S. (2016). How women can break through in male-dominated fields. Fortune, 450.

We Want to Hear From You Comments? Questions? Want to continue the conversation? katypelton@shsu.edu mguzman@tamu.edu

It’s Not Just a Man’s World