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#LeanInTogether
TIPS FOR WOMEN: HOW TO BE A WORKPLACE ALLY
Get the complete tips at leanin.org/tips/workplace-ally
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2.
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You often hear that women don’t support each
other—but it’s not true.
Women do help other woman, and we can be powerful allies at
work. There are simple things we can do every day to celebrate
and advocate for our female coworkers. Together, we can level
the playing field and go further faster.
#LEANINTOGETHER
HOW TO BE A WORKPLACE ALLY

3.
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When women stay quiet,
our status suffers: women
who speak less in group
discussion are seen as
having less influence.1

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1SITUATION
Women get less airtime in group discussions.2.
We are interrupted
more—by both men and women3
—and given less credit for our
ideas.4
Look for ways to shape the conversation. When a woman is
interrupted, interject and say you’d like to hear her finish. If you
see a woman struggling to break into the conversation, say you’d
like to hear other points of view. When you advocate for your
female coworkers, they benefit—and you’re seen as a leader.
Moreover, meetings are most effective when everyone’s best
thinking is heard.
SOLUTION
1 MAKE SURE WOMEN’S IDEAS ARE HEARD

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In a recent study, 66
percent of women received
negative feedback on their
personal style such as “You
can sometimes be
abrasive,” compared to less
than 1 percent of men.5

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2 CHALLENGE THE LIKEABILITY PENALTY
SITUATION
Men are expected to be assertive, so coworkers welcome their
leadership. In contrast, women are expected to be nurturing and
collaborative, so when we lead, we go against expectations—and
often face pushback from men and women.
6
This “likeability
penalty” often surfaces in the way women are described.
SOLUTION
Listen for the language of this likeability penalty. When you hear a
woman called “bossy” or “shrill,” ask, “Would you have the same
reaction if a man did the same thing?” In many cases, the answer
will be no.

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Women are often given
less credit for successful
outcomes and blamed
more for failure.7

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SITUATION
SOLUTION
3 CELEBRATE WOMEN'S ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Women are often given less credit for successful outcomes and
blamed more for failure.
8
Conversely, when women celebrate our own
accomplishments, we are often penalized for self-promotion.
9
As a
result of these dynamics, women’s contributions can go unnoticed.
Look for opportunities to celebrate women’s accomplishments, and
point out when women are being blamed unfairly for mistakes.
Better yet, get together with a group of women and agree to
celebrate one another’s successes whenever possible. Although
women are often penalized for promoting ourselves, you can lift up
other women and they can do the same for you.

9.
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Women negotiate less
frequently and ask for a
third less money when
we do.10

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SOLUTION
4 ENCOURAGE WOMEN TO GO FOR IT
SITUATION
Because female performance is frequently underestimated, women
need to work harder to prove we’re just as capable.
11
Because the
workplace is harder on women—and we are harder on ourselves—our
confidence often erodes. As a result, many women are less likely to
put themselves forward for promotions or negotiate.
Look for opportunities to boost your female coworkers’ confidence
and encourage them to go for it. If a woman says she’s not ready for
a new project or position, remind her of what she’s already
accomplished. When it’s time to negotiate, encourage her to ask for
more and role-play with her to prepare for the discussion.

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Women often receive
less—and less helpful—
feedback.

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SOLUTION
5 GIVE WOMEN DIRECT FEEDBACK
While men get specific recommendations for improving their
performance, women hear more generic feedback that’s harder to
act on, such as “Good job” or “You need more presence in
meetings.”
12
Unfortunately, this lack of input slows women down;
it’s hard to build skills and advance if you don’t know what to do.
Find opportunities to give your female coworkers specific input for
improving their performance. Whenever possible, share your
feedback live and in the moment, when it’s most effective. Treat
feedback from others as a gift and solicit it often—not only will you
benefit from the input, you’ll set a great example to the women
around you.
SITUATION

13.
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Women who are mentored
by women feel more
supported and are often
more satisfied with their
careers.13

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#LeanInTogether | LeanInTogether.Org
SOLUTION
6 MENTOR AND SPONSOR OTHER WOMEN
Mentorship and sponsorship are key drivers of success, but
unfortunately women often miss out. Women are less likely to have
mentors who advocate for and promote them, and this type of
sponsorship is ultimately what opens doors and creates
opportunities.
14
Commit the time and energy to mentor another woman. If you’re
early in your career, don’t underestimate the value of your input—
you may have just been through what a woman starting out is
experiencing. If you’re more senior, go beyond offering advice and
use your influence to advocate for your mentee.
SITUATION

15.
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ENDNOTES
1 ChristopherKarpowitz, Tali Mendelberg, and LeeShaker, “GenderInequalityin DeliberativeParticipation,”American
Political ScienceReview 106, no. 3 (2012): 533–47,http://journals.cambridge.org/abstract_S0003055412000329
2 Karpowitz, Mendelberg, and Shaker, “GenderInequalityin DeliberativeParticipation,”Kieran Snyder, “Howto Get
Ahead as a Woman in Tech: Interrupt Men,” Slate, July23, 2014,
http://www.slate.com/blogs/lexicon_valley/2014/07/23/study_men_interrupt_women_more_in_tech_workplaces_
but_high_ranking_women.html;Joan C. Williamsand Rachel Dempsey, WhatWorksfor Women at Work: Four
Patterns Working Women Need to Know(NewYork: NYUPress, 2014).
3 Snyder, “Howto Get Ahead as a Woman in Tech: Interrupt Men.”
4 AdrienneB. Hancock and Benjamin J. Rubin,“Influenceof Communication Partner’sGenderon Language,” Journal
of Languageand Social Psychology 34, no.1 (2015):46–64, http://jls.sagepub.com/content/34/1/46.full.pdf+html.
5 Kieran Snyder, “TheAbrasivenessTrap: High-Achieving Menand Women AreDescribed Differentlyin Reviews,”
Fortune, August26, 2014, http://fortune.com/2014/08/26/performance-review-gender-bias/.
6 MadelineE. Heilman, “GenderStereotypesand WorkplaceBias,” Research in Organizational Behavior 32(2012): 113–
15.
7 MadelineE. Heilman and MichelleC. Hayes, “No CreditWhere Credit Is Due: Attributional Rationalization of
Women’sSuccess in Male-FemaleTeams,” Journal of Applied Psychology 90, no. 5 (2005): 905–26;MichelleC.
Hayes and Jason S. Lawrence, “Who’sto Blame? Attributionsof Blamein Unsuccessful Mixed-Sex Work Teams,”
Basic and Applied Social Psychology 34, no. 6 (2012): 558–64.
8 Ibid.

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9. For a review of research see LaurieA. Rudman et al., “Reactionsto Vanguards: Advancesin Backlash Theory,” in
Advances in Experimental Social Psychology, ed. Patricia Devineand AshbyPlant(San Diego: Academic Press,
2012), 167; LaurieA. Rudman, “Self-Promotion asa Risk Factor for Women: TheCosts and Benefits of
Counterstereotypical Impression Management,” Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 74, no. 3 (1998): 629–
45.
10. Research cited by Katty Kay and Claire Shipman, “TheConfidenceGap,” Atlantic,May2014,
http://www.theatlantic.com/features/archive/2014/04/the-confidence-gap/359815/. Seealso Lydia Frank, “How
the GenderPay Gap Widensas Women Get Promoted,” Harvard BusinessReview, November5, 2015,
https://hbr.org/2015/11/how-the-gender-pay-gap-widens-as-women-get-promoted.
11. Joan C. Williamsand Rachel Dempsey, WhatWorksfor Women at Work: FourPatterns Working Women Need to
Know (NewYork: NYUPress, 2014).
12. ShelleyCorrell and CarolineSimard, “Research: VagueFeedback Is Holding Women Back,” Harvard Business
Review, April 29, 2016, https://hbr.org/2016/04/research-vague-feedback-is-holding-women-back.
13. For a review of research see Carol T. Kulik, Isabel Metz, and Jill A. Gould, “IntheCompanyof Women: TheWell-
Being Consequencesof Working with (and for) Women,” in Handbook on Well-Being of Working Women,ed. Mary
L. Connerleyand Jiyun Wu (NewYork: Springer, 2016), 189; Sarah Dinolfo, ChristineSilva, and NancyM. Carter,
High-Potentialsin thePipeline: LeadersPay It Forward, Catalyst (2012); K. E. O’Brien, A. Biga,S. R. Kessler, and T.
D. Allen, “A Meta-Analytic Investigation of GenderDifferencesin Mentoring,” Journal of Management36, no. 2
(2010): 537–54, http://jom.sagepub.com/content/36/2/537.short.
14. Herminia Ibarra, NancyM. Carter, and ChristineSilva, “WhyMen Still GetMorePromotionsThan Women,” Harvard
BusinessReview, September 2010, https://hbr.org/2010/09/why-men-still-get-more-promotions-than-women
ENDNOTES