How To Advocate For Yourself At Work (Get Confident in Male-Dominated Spaces)

How do women find their voice and claim their space in male-dominated workplaces?

Many of us are taught to be quiet. So how do we overcome cultural conditioning that teaches women to stay silent and docile?

My guest Jenny shares her struggles with speaking up in meetings and having her ideas heard, especially with senior male colleagues. Despite 13 years of corporate experience, she still battles the ingrained fear of growing up in a traditional hierarchical family.

We later hear from my friend and co-host Lynette, founder and CEO focused on ESG initiatives, who transitioned from running her own interior design business to the corporate world. She opens up about facing shocking discrimination, questioning her abilities, and ultimately finding her authentic voice while helping create inclusive environments for others.

Here is What We Talk About:

➡️ Finding Your Voice: The journey from self-doubt to speaking up with confidence, especially for Asian women conditioned to stay quiet. How to prepare, practice and build the confidence to share your ideas.
➡️ Handling Idea Theft: Practical strategies for claiming credit when your ideas are stolen or repeated without acknowledgment. Ways to respectfully redirect credit while maintaining professionalism.
➡️ Creating Safe Spaces: The importance of sending the elevator down to help other women thrive. Small actions that create more inclusive environments where everyone's voice can be heard.
➡️ Responding to Bias: Understanding the choice to be a bystander, colluder, or challenger when witnessing discrimination. How to speak up against bias with kindness and respect.

Chapters
00:00 Intro
01:19 Meet Jenny from Beijing
03:33 Speaking Up in Public Settings
06:45 How to Overcome Self-Doubt
12:29 Strategies for Doubling Your Voice
15:46 Building Confidence in Senior Settings
20:59 Supporting Other Women Leaders
27:15 Meet Lynette Lee
31:03 Growing Up in Mixed Heritage Family
35:50 Workplace Discrimination
41:18 How to Speak Up
47:44 Lessons on Finding Your Voice
51:44 Creating Inclusive Team Environments
54:38 Wrap-Up

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