Our theme this month is about looking at the quality in your life. For most women, quality in their life is measured by the relationships they have in their lives. With 2013 off to a roaring start, I propose we reflect on the relationships with have with other women – specifically in the workplace.

What are we doing at work? Why do we really say what we say? Are we investing in the good of mentoring or promoting other women around us?
 
Or are we jealous and hurtful to others? What is our real motivation for doing that?
 
Here’s a clear example of what I’m talking about. Some women play games. We purposefully withhold information, sabotaging the success of another in the workplace.
 Here’s a direct example of what I’m talking about. Hungry and tired, I went to a local sandwich shop. The young lanky girl took my order. She was slow, but accommodating. A red badge pinned on her shoulder informed me she was a trainee. With my sandwich completed, her sidekick rang up my order. “Should I put this in a large bag?”, the lanky girl asked the more experienced sandwich maker.

“No! It will all fit in one bag. Don’t you know that?” 

Quietly and timidly the lanky girl walked away and pretended to clean the counter top while the other girl stuffed my sandwich into the plastic bag calling, “Have a great day” at my back as I walked away.

It seems like a normal conversation between a trainee and a trainer, but it nagged at me. It left me with great pause and sadness, which ultimately drew me to these questions:

Why do we as women continually not empower one another?

Why do we shamelessly gloat when another woman doesn’t know something, rather than teach her?

Why is it when we do have the opportunity to train or share information, we don’t?

And my final question is: what drives that behavior?

After careful reflection I could actually sum it up. Women play a game with one another. It’s called – Knowledge is Power and You Have None.

Sharing information, empowering another and listening are the biggest gifts you can give. As women we are phenomenal net-workers and have an opportunity to rise to the top – together in corporate America. I strongly encourage us all to take a moment and slow down to monitor our treatment of one another in the workplace and with each other. 

Common courtesy has become uncommon.

Furthermore, there is no fear in sharing because knowledge doesn’t belong to you. Knowledge is not something one ‘owns’. 
 
2013 is deemed the year of the snake, symbolizing the shedding of old behaviors to make room for new growth. With this new awareness, let’s consider our actions towards others in the workplace, with the intention of mentoring others around us. 

I Quit! Working for You is Not Working For me! by Elizabeth Lions

Check out this sneak peek of Elizabeth Lions’ book “I QUIT! Working for you isn’t for me”; available on Kindle E reader or paperback

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