Tightrope Bias & The Likeability Dilemma

Have you been called bossy or pushy at work when you were just doing your job? Have you been tough, when necessary, only to be deemed difficult to work for or with? The explanation for this is Tightrope Bias and the Likeability Dilemma.

Research shows that in many workplaces’ women wanting to advance often must take on more “masculine qualities” to get ahead, presenting as more ambitious, assertive, and competitive. Yet we are still expected to maintain our “feminine qualities” of being caring, modest, helpful, and nice. Research also confirms that women who violate stereotypically feminine social norms are often disliked and in turn penalized in their careers for violating gender norms. These inequitable stereotypes and biases result in negative expectations and evaluations of women's performance and potential. It leads women to constantly balance the “tightrope” between being liked and being seen as competent.

We must stop obscuring and downplaying the real penalties women pay for simply doing what they need to do and what men do without penalty to get to the top. The advancing women podcast is where empathy meets pragmatism. It's not our fault, but it is our problem. This episode goes beyond identifying the problem by providing best practice strategies to fix the problem. Don’t miss this episode to learn what we as women can do AND what organizations must do to overcome this workforce barrier.

References:

AWP Episode #35 Sorry Not Sorry: Apologizing, Deflecting, and Undermining (Apple and Spotify Links)

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/sorry-not-sorry-apologizing-deflecting-and-undermining/id1569849100?i=1000548888371

https://open.spotify.com/episode/4cG6xOdFaTKANila9ZTXn5?si=0e9efd831bb84cd4

AWP Episode #10 The Art & Agony of No (Apple and Spotify Links)

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-art-and-agony-of-saying-no/id1569849100?i=1000530813744

https://open.spotify.com/episode/5mKCoN7pVkC9Q5coPELqQm?si=3ee3fae969234c22

AWP Episode #48 The Joy of No (Apple and Spotify Links)

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-joy-of-no-jono/id1569849100?i=1000558693948

https://open.spotify.com/episode/5DdQDqg7SahRNWyCqGEoHF?si=9d120e0b16eb4a04

Robin Hauser: The Likability Dilemma for Women Leaders | TED https://youtu.be/T2I4tus05hI

Williams & Dempsey: What Works for Women at Work

Book: https://nyupress.org/9781479835454/what-works-for-women-at-work/

Video: https://youtu.be/iv8aNdzcvZ0

For more about Dr. DeSimone and the Advancing Women Podcast

https://advancingwomenpodcast.com/

https://www.instagram.com/advancingwomenpodcast/

https://www.facebook.com/advancingwomenpodcast/