This episode is the third in the Series on Navigating the Male Dominated Fields of Procurement & Supply Chain.
In the prior episodes we talked about the different ways unconscious biases can show up in the workplace, and the “double-whammy” that women in the functions encounter.
Today we are going to talk about how you can be an effective negotiator while still being your true self.
There are countless studies that have shown that workplace gender stereotypes do exist:
Women are perceived as weak, emotional, and accommodating
Men are perceived as strong, rational, and assertive
Gender stereotypes can impact the approach and outcome of a negotiation when a woman is negotiating across the table from a man.
As a woman you may have been told that you are not viewed as a tough negotiator, particularly if your style is more soft or low key.
This may have caused you to question if you should alter your style. You want to be taken seriously. You don’t want to be considered as someone who is too easy on her suppliers.
You start to ask yourself:
Do they think I am less competent?
Do they question if I am less knowledgeable?
Am I supposed to be someone I’m not?
I recently interviewed an Executive woman from a Fortune 100 company who shared her struggles with this challenge. Her true style was to be more soft-spoken, gentler.
She shared that over the years she had been told that she needed to project a more “hard-core” image if she wanted to be taken seriously.
She tried for a period of time to change her style, to be more aggressive.
It just didn’t feel right. She realized she was not being her authentic self, and that was important to her.
She realized that there is more than one way to be successful at making deals. She quickly reverted back to being her true self.
She had the confidence to recognize that being her authentic self was in fact an effective strategy for her.
She opted instead to play to her strengths:
- She knew how to develop a strategy
- She had developed solid relationships over the years
- She was a good listener
- She was confident in her delivery
She was able to get the job done in a manner that felt right to her.
The key is to remember that there is more than one way to be successful at making deals.
Perhaps your strategy is to listen more so as to understand your audience. Afterall, listening can create a position of strength.
Perhaps the way you show your confidence is different from that of a male peer.
Perhaps your strategy is to build a long-term relationship.
I invite you to check-in with yourself and confirm: “Are you being your authentic self in the workplace”?
