Woman vs. Woman? December 21, 2011My CareerOff

“I’d rather work for a man any day,” a female HR head of a top pharmaceutical firm told me recently.

The accomplished professional in her early 40s says other women have been “miserable to work for” and have “never” given her a break.

She’s not alone: 63 percent of women surveyed say they’d rather work for a man. The reason? The study cites “drama,” that women are often “sharp tongued” and take too long to “get to the point.”

Plus, 68 percent of workplace bullying cases involve same-gender harassment.

“With companies having to do more with less, undercutting and undermining other women means we all suffer,” says author and career coach Cathleen O’Connor.

“It also perpetuates an old stereotype of women as catty and competitive – something that fully deserves to be done away with once and for all.”

What can we do about it?

“Women have to develop self-assurance and confidence to stand up for themselves and their work without undercutting anyone else,” says O’Connor.

She explains that removing emotions from the situation, making sure your work is attributed to you and direct communication with your company’s decision-makers will help.

“Men like to talk about ‘cat fighting,’ so women in companies will often push these issues under the table,” adds author and columnist Connie Glaser. “But it’s a valuable platform to talk about the issue directly with coworkers. Mentoring, sponsoring and championing other women is critical.”

If the “mean girl” behavior keeps occurring, experts suggest documenting it, responding with logic rather than emotions and, if necessary, speaking with your boss or HR department.

Bonus PINK Link: Got a difficult female boss? Here’s how to deal with her.

By Cynthia Good

“There is a special place in hell for women who do not help other women.”
Madeleine K. Albright

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