Girl Boss: What I Learned From Women at Work
By Layne Meyers
As a 29-year-old woman quickly approaching a decade of post-college work experience, I have had my fair share of jobs. There was the failed athletic clothing startup, the event planner that asked me to find baby zebras to rent, the lingerie department where I (awkwardly) fit my childhood friends’ moms for new bras, a local chocolatier, and, eventually, a few ad agencies. These jobs obviously varied in industry, but they also ranged in size from one to over two hundred. Besides great stories, this breadth of experience has given me insight into what work environments and management styles I thrive under, and I’ve discovered that a big factor of success for me is working for inspiring women.
A quick disclaimer: I have also worked with and for incredible men (and awful women), too. Like most things in life, this isn’t black and white.
With that in mind, here are the reasons why I love working for women:
Mentorship
While it’s encouraging as a young woman to even see or work with women in senior positions, it is life-changing when those female managers decide to help you grow and develop your career. Over the years I have been lucky enough to have had multiple female managers turn into mentors that I stay in touch with long after we’re no longer at the same company. As fellow women in the same industry, they understand the path I’m on and are always willing to provide guidance, help brainstorm, or offer words of encouragement when needed.
Understanding
It’s easier to imagine walking in your female employees’ shoes if you have at least tried walking in heels before. There are things about being a woman, and specifically, a woman in the workplace, that are easier to talk about with a female boss. Whether it’s a health concern, an unwanted advance from a coworker, or the struggle to find the right work/life balance, in my experience some topics are more comfortable to discuss with other women.
Camaraderie
Building on the above, bonding comes quickly when you have an open dialogue. If you don’t feel you can talk freely with your manager, it’s understandable that you won’t feel as united as a team. However, even before you get to the deeper discussions, it helps when you have things in common to talk about. This is obviously subjective, but I personally have more to contribute to a conversation when discussing almost anything other than sports, which has left me feeling disengaged from male-heavy teams in the past.
Once I realized that working for women made a significant difference in my work experience, I have actively sought it out. These days I’m grateful to work alongside incredible women here at Merrygood, a woman-owned company.