by Solange Lopes | Sep 29, 2014 | Career |
The Silent bullying of mothers at work – Photo credit: essence.com
“This would have been a great project, but you know the hours are long, and you are a mom!”
“We took you off this trip because you know, you have kids!”
Many are the stories and scenarios in which professional mothers are bullied at work constantly. And many are the mostly irrational theories about why women simply don’t make good workers, one of them being that apparently we just happen to be obsessed with babies (which also must be linked with the whole cooing doll thing for girls and roaring cars for boys). And of course it all certainly explains with quasi-mathematical accuracy why women are unable to remain in the workforce, or advance in the corporate ranks.
Yet what is not so much exposed is the insidious, at times vicious of bullying of mothers in the workplace. Of course, there is much less data available to actually quantify the missed opportunities, non-inclusive meetings and countless slights made towards women on account of this so weird and unusual thing called Motherhood.
These are realities that most women at work are very familiar with. Unfortunately, they also happen to be our “dirty” little secrets, those awful experiences we discuss more among ourselves but would think twice about reporting to management or Human Resources.
There is a silent epidemic of bullying mothers at work. And it happens to be more costly than just the wage gap or motherhood penalty. It costs many of us our sanity, sense of self-worth, ambition, and defers our dreams. And because it’s not a loud number or imposing statistical figure, or doesn’t really have a name to call its own, it tends to go undenounced.
So next time you see another woman leave the workforce to stay with her kids, respect her choice. Yet as you say good-bye, you may want to think about whether she took the path of least resistance, or if… she’s really just obsessed with babies…
The Corporate Sis.
by Solange Lopes | Sep 28, 2014 | Career
Happy Sunday! I hope everyone’s having a great week-end! Dear Hubby and I went on a wine tour and tasting yesterday at the Newport Vineyards, and had a wonderful time (and I’m glad I didn’t have to drive after that
Weekly news update – Photo credit: http://drshannonreece.files.wordpress.com
…). As we’re relaxing and getting ready for a new week, here are the headlines that made me smile, laugh and straight up shake my head:
- So Wall Street may be a boys’ club, Bloomberg BusinessWeek tells us about five Wall Street companies with great paid leave;
- Yes, tomorrow is Monday, again! Fast Company tips us off on how to turn Monday into a day you actually enjoy (yes, it is possible);
- HuffPost Business asks the question: “Is your office space yoga-able” (and yes, unless you work in a shoe closet, it’s doable);
- Refinery 29 writes about how one woman is revolutionizing things for new moms in the start-up world;
- HuffPost Women lists 9 qualities of confident women (and #1 is my absolute favorite);
- PBS News Hour reveals black college grads face greater student loan burden than whites;
- Mashable answers the empowerment question for women and girls everywhere, and technology seems to be the key;
- Worried about which college to attend? Lifehacker compares colleges based on graduate salary;
- WhoWhatWear shows us 5 perfect pants to complete our work-to-week-end look;
- This week saw the return of our favorite Gladiator Olivia Pope, and The Corporate Sister was all over it with the Scandal fashion collection at The Limited.
Happy Sunday!
by Solange Lopes | Sep 26, 2014 | Career |
Post-It Plus App – Photo credit: Fastcompany.com
I love Post-it notes (check out my recent post on related gadgets). And when I read about the new Post-It Plus app in Fast Company, I did my happy dance, inside.
If you love jotting down your random thoughts, stuff to do, or how much you wish your pesky co-worker came with a mute button, you’ll love this iPhone and iPad app too. It allows you to snap a pic of all your random post-it notes, which in turn get digitized and voila!
Bonus: You can save all your team’s Post-It business in Evernote, Dropbox, Excel or PowerPoint!
My $0.05: Get.It.Now.
The Corporate Sis.
by Solange Lopes | Sep 26, 2014 | Career
Liv Flare Leg Trousers – $98 – Photo credit: thelimited.com
Scandal racked 11.9 million viewers last night, and yes, it was a big Gladiator night for viewers out there. And of course, we’re still talking about it, including the fashion of Gladiator-in-chic Olivia Pope. Hence today’s pick of these Liv flare trousers from The Limited’s Scandal collection.
Loving the elegance and confidence of these luxurious pants! They comfortably sit below the waist, and are well-built enough to flatter any silhouette. I’d pair them with these fierce leather
Hollyn Leather Pointy Heels – Photo credit: anntaylor.com
pointy heels from Ann Taylor (which also happen to be 50% off, which comes to a fashionably affordable $69!).
The Liv flare leg trousers are $98 at The Limited!
The Corporate Sis.
by Solange Lopes | Sep 26, 2014 | Career |
How to get away with murder – Photo credit: nydailynews.com
Sooo it’s the end of the workday, and as you’re sitting back on your stiff chair as the clock is ticking 5 o’clock, you realize you have done NOTHING, NADA, ZILTSCH…..I mean, if there ever were an illustration of unproductivity, this would be it! Not one of your meetings has been productive, you haven’t gotten any answers to your questions, you’ve had to deal with work interruptions all day, and 99.9% of your to-do list still remains, well…to be done. Now you may not be able to get away with murder like Viola Davis, but there are chances you may just be able to get away with a totally, I mean, absolutely, unproductive day at work.
1. Apply the rule of ONE! Do ONE task, and possibly cross it off your to-do list! It doesn’t matter whether it’s a 5-minute, low impact task or a much more important one. Just get ONE done! It’ll make you feel better, and give you something, no matter how small, to work with.
2. Hack your procrastination! Whether you bet colleagues money (or coffee) that you can complete that audit on time, or you resort to the Pomodoro technique, decide to face the problem head on!
3. There’s always tomorrow! Sometimes, you just have to look to the future and commit to do better the next time. So learn from your mistakes, re-assess your unproductive episodes, get a good night’s sleep and move on to a better, more productive day!
How do you get away with an unproductive day at work?
The Corporate Sis.
by Solange Lopes | Sep 25, 2014 | Career
Handling work interruptions – Photo credit: work awesome.com
Have you ever been head down, deep into the task at hand, when a team member, co-worker, or even your boss just popped their heads in to ask something? At which point you probably used your Super Powers to lift them off the carpeted office floor, Brooks Brothers non-iron shirt and all, and made them fly away? Ok, maybe not…I digress…again…After all, isn’t doing your work and checking tasks off your unending to-do list more important, and more rewarding?
Actually, work interruptions don’t have to be all that bad. That is, if they are managed efficiently:
1. Slow down, take a moment to asses the importance of the interruption! If it’s your boss interrupting you, fixing your frowned face may be a good idea. And if it’s the team broadcaster, breathe and count to three before you dial your desk phone from your cell phone (there is a speed-dial option for that);
2. Help and be helped! Interruptions are sometimes heaven-sent. If you’ve been looking at the same spreadsheet for an hour, or have no idea how to start the quarterly audit memo, you may need to step away and hit your mind’s “Refresh” button. So go ahead and welcome the break!
3. Offer a plea deal! Refusing to help is never well seen within a professional environment. So use your bargaining skills for something else than buying vintage shoes! Offer an alternative time to discuss and help out, all while you’re giving yourself an inner pat on that astute and oh so diplomatic mind of yours!
What do you think? How do you handle work interruptions?
The Corporate Sis.
by Solange Lopes | Sep 25, 2014 | Career |
Plaid Cap-Sleeve Dress – $198 – Photo credit: pinterest.com
I fell in fashion lust with this plaid cap-sleeve dress from J. Crew. Just exquisite, and perfect for work and beyond. The plaid fabric is perfect for Fall! Loving the fitted silhouette that elegantly transitions into a flared, playful skirt. It’s the perfect “Schoolgirl Dress” turned “Power Dress”!
I’d pair this dress with simple, toned-down silver jewelry, a sleek ponytail and a vibrant, bold red lip (check out my post onwearing red lipstick at work). And depending on my mood, I may jazz the whole thing up with a striking pair of purple pumps, like this one from
Purple pumps – $350 – Photo credit: shop.nordstrom.com
the SJP collection at Nordstrom, or this more reasonably priced one from DSW.
This plaid cap-sleeve dress is $198 at JCrew!
The Corporate Sis.
