๐ช It was a standard disciplinary hearing -UNTIL he aggressively threw a chair.Not in anger at the process.
Not toward the manager sitting beside me.
But in my direction - me, the only woman in the room.
We werenโt even at dismissal yet.
Just following policy.
Exploring why he'd been AWOL.
He wasnโt new to the process.
This was our third meeting.
But something changed in him, and I was at the receiving end of it.
The woman.
BECAUSE I'm a woman.And this happens more than we think -
even if it doesnโt involve a flying chair.
Many leaders still don't realise when their reactions shift based on whoโs in the room.
Ask yourself - โณ Do you ask the man for the final answer - even when the woman spoke first?
โณ Do you interrupt one person but not the other?
โณ Do you โescalateโ behaviours only when authority looks a certain way?
Because thatโs not accidental.
Thatโs imbedded bias.
That's why the chair was aimed at me, and not man who was sitting right next to me.
Let's be honest - Most managers wonโt throw a chair.
But some will withdraw respect.
Some will speak louder, colder, sharper.
Some will dismiss ideas without even knowing why.
And
too often - itโs directed at women. Even if unintentionally or indirectly.
There's no quick fix, but here's a start;โ๏ธ Reflect on your reactions -who gets your calm, your trust, your benefit of the doubt?
โ๏ธ During meetings, audits, disciplinaries note where your attention goes first.
โ๏ธ If you witness this happen, say something. Silence reinforces the hierarchy.
Bias doesnโt need to scream to be dangerous.
Sometimes it just needs to throw its weight slightly in one direction.
๐๐ฝ ๐๐ถ, ๐โ๐บ ๐ง๐ถ๐ป๐ฎ, ๐ณ๐ผ๐๐ป๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐๐ฅ ๐๐ฎ๐ฏ๐ถ๐๐ฎ๐.
๐โ๐บ ๐๐ถ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐๐ฅ ๐ต๐ผ๐๐น๐ถ๐ป๐ฒ๐, ๐๐ผ๐ผ.
๐ช๐ฒ ๐ณ๐ถ๐
๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ฅ ๐บ๐ถ๐ป๐ฒ๐ณ๐ถ๐ฒ๐น๐ฑ๐ ๐๐ผ๐ ๐ฑ๐ถ๐ฑ๐ปโ๐ ๐ธ๐ป๐ผ๐ ๐๐ผ๐ ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ด๐ฒ๐๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ฟ๐ผ๐ป๐ด.
๐ ๐ ๐บ๐ถ๐๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐ถ๐ ๐๐ผ ๐ฒ๐บ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ด๐ฒ๐ป๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ฒ๐พ๐๐ถ๐๐ ๐ถ๐ป๐๐ผ ๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐ฑ๐ฎ๐ ๐น๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐ต๐ถ๐ฝโ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐บ๐ฒ๐ป ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐ผ๐บ๐ฒ๐ป ๐ฎ๐น๐ถ๐ธ๐ฒ.
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