WOMEN AND PROMOTIONS

WOMEN AND PROMOTIONS

A cranky opinion for

CRANKY OPINION SATURDAY

WARNING:

The following post is based on the hypothesis that men and women are not the same.  I realize this concept automatically makes me Misogynistic, xenophobic, and I may as well throw in racist.  You may want to delete this and head for a safe space.

If thinking that men and women are not the same is misogynistic, then I am a misogynist.  I don’t believe I am a racist, but the two seem to always go hand in hand.  I’m not really sure what xenophobic is but without even knowing, I am sort of afraid of anything that starts with an “X”.

Please don't beat me up too badly, here goes:

There is an often asserted statistic that women earn only 77 cents for every dollar a man earns.  Not sure how that happens.  Pretty much anyone, man or woman who works for minimum wage earns the same pay.  I believe government positions have pay grades that are difficult to gender discriminate, same job has the same pay by law.  I know from experience; large corporations do not discriminate in terms of same pay for the same grade. 

If there is discrimination (not already covered by three federal laws) in this country, it is discrimination in moving to higher grade positions.  I am sure this discrimination exists and it is one that is probably pretty hard to legislate against and prosecute where legislation may exist.

There are several reasons why this discrimination exists.  There is the perception that women cannot work long hours, that women will be more dedicated to their children than the job, that women will defer to the responsibilities of her spouse’s occupational demands.  There may still be some truth in these perceptions, certainly they were a genuine factor in previous generations.  Still, these perceptions are unfair and need to be mitigated.

There is, however one female trait (warning, massive generalization here) that is a factor in women not getting promotions to a higher grade than men. 

Women are less likely to take credit for what they do.  Men are more competition and confrontation-ally oriented than woman (Once again, massive generalization here).  Men in their competition to get a promotion will take credit for other’s ideas and work when possible.  Men will throw others under the bus for bad ideas and mistakes even if they were also responsible for those mistakes and bad ideas.  Men will exaggerate their accomplishments and brag about their skills.

Women are less likely to throw others under the bus.  Women are more team players and are more likely to include others in giving credit for accomplishments.  Women tend to downplay their abilities and even subconsciously go out of their way to bolster male co-worker’s egos at the expense of the perception of their own abilities, and women who do act as competitively as men as perceived as "Bitchy." 

Women like to please men (relax, remember massive generalization here) and they have learned that men prefer noncompetitive, helpless ladies and not strong tough women.  As a result, women (This is the last time I will say this… massive generalization here) play dumb or incompetent just to get male attention…men think dumb incompetent women are cute.  Women are experts at playing dumb or incompetent to outsmart men and get what they want.  They are experts at getting things done their way and making men think it was their idea to solve a problem.

These traits of women to please men and get their way without ruffling the feathers of their clueless mate work well in the traditional men women roles of earlier societies, today they are the anchors that keep women from breaking through the glass ceiling.

This “pleasing” trait is fading and with it more women will reach the higher pay grades…it is just a matter of time.  As women toughen up and become as mean and attention grabbing as men, the pay grade differential will shrink to zero.

Being called a bitch for being tough will probably never change.

The following was the opinion (and massive generalization) of a cranky old man and not necessarily that of management…Mrs. Cranky.