BREAKING THROUGH BIAS: Communication Techniques for Women to Succeed at Work-PowerPoint presentation

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At the NAPFA Conference on October 20, 2023, Andie Kramer discussed strategies from her book "Breaking Through Bias" to address and mitigate gender-based communication issues in the workplace. Kramer emphasizes the persistent challenge of gender bias, especially in male-dominated organizations where communication is stifled by entrenched masculine norms.<br /><br />Key points include the critical barriers women face, such as biases and microaggressions that impede their career advancement, hinder salary increases, and deny them significant professional opportunities. This creates an environment where women often feel isolated and undervalued, reinforcing the cycle of gender inequality.<br /><br />Kramer outlines the necessity of diversity and inclusion, both from moral and economic standpoints. Diverse teams not only ensure fairness and equality but also foster innovation and improved decision-making, which are beneficial for business profitability.<br /><br />The presentation delineates various biases stemming from stereotypes, such as affinity bias and out-group bias, which further marginalize women by excluding them from informal networks or critical decision-making processes. Kramer stresses the importance of addressing gender stereotypes by balancing communal (traditionally feminine) and agentic (traditionally masculine) traits to be effective leaders.<br /><br />She also discusses the Goldilocks Dilemma, where women are often perceived as either too soft or too tough, rarely striking the "just right" balance. Moreover, the concept of intersectionality is explored, addressing how intersecting identities like race, ethnicity, and sexual orientation compound the effects of bias.<br /><br />Practical advice for individuals includes developing resilience, confidence, and a positive mindset, as well as effectively calling out bias. For men, actively mentoring, supporting, and sponsoring women are concrete steps towards fostering equity.<br /><br />Kramer concludes by emphasizing the collective responsibility of all individuals to build inclusive workplaces through proactive actions like modeling inclusiveness, calling out biased behavior, and supporting diverse colleagues. The session wraps up with a call to adopt new, unbiased paths for personnel decisions and treating home inequality as a business issue to ultimately end gender inequality at work.

Keywords

NAPFA Conference

Andie Kramer

Breaking Through Bias

gender communication

workplace diversity

gender bias

microaggressions

intersectionality

Goldilocks Dilemma

inclusive workplaces