Dealing With Sexism
by Wendy Priesnitz
Q: I am a woman
business owner. Today I was in a meeting with one of my major
clients. Eight people were present, plus me. The head of marketing
for the company chaired the meeting. During the course of his
initial remarks, he made some demeaning comments about women. I
could tell the other two women present were uncomfortable but none
of us said anything. Now I wish I had spoken up. Is there a way to
do that without losing the client, or was I right to stay silent?
A: I'm
always amazed to realize that such situations still occur in this
supposedly enlightened day and age! And when I witness or hear about
them, I want to jump up and down and scream.
However,
given the dynamics of this situation, I think you were wise not to
challenge the man during the meeting. That would likely have seemed
adversarial, which is not the climate you want when dealing with a
client. Furthermore, it might not have accomplished anything, since
embarrassment can often cause people to feel defensive and can
therefore block positive change.
Depending on
how well you know him, you might have taken him aside after the
meeting and shared how his remarks made you feel, without referring
to any perceived reaction from the other women present. A bit of
off-handed humor on your part might have defused any negative
reaction to your comments, even if you don't know him well.
Or you could
have tried to speak to those other women, supporting them if they
felt comfortable challenging their coworker (which they might not
want to do if the man in question is their superior). You may still
be able to do this.
When
choosing appropriate responses in such situations, you must consider
the stakes involved. In other words, what is the worst possible
outcome of your speaking up, how likely is that to occur and would
you be willing to live with it? In other words, is this a fight
worth picking? Only you can decide that.
Also
consider the likelihood of your negative response changing the other
persons behavior. If his inappropriate comment was
uncharacteristic, he might welcome your feedback. On the other hand,
he might be a true misogynist and react in that manner to your
comments.