Trenchant

Sometimes we just want it to not be so hard.

We don’t want to hear about benchmarks and bands, pay grades and scales, maximum percentage increases, the acceptable ratio of base pay to bonus or annual cycle times for compensation adjustments. We just want to get paid what the guy next to us is making for doing the same job as well.

We don’t want to wonder whether you are asking us to get you coffee or order lunch, make copies or schedule the conference room, take the meeting minutes or dial the phone because we’re women and you assume women just do those things.  We don’t want to feel obligated to fulfill your request or worry you’ll think we’re overreacting by refusing.  We just want you to ask that those tasks be done by the person with the job description to match.

We don’t want to play golf.  We don’t want to watch you play golf.  We’ve worked as hard or harder on the presentation as you did.   We just want to be on that same level playing field when it comes to the social side of business.

We don’t want to worry about what we are wearing at the company social event or how you‘re looking at us or whether you’ll want to sit next to us at the dinner or what you’ll think of us if we leave early or stay late or have one drink or ten drinks.  We just want to let off some steam and celebrate our accomplishments.

We don’t want to be at the meeting knowing we are included because it “looks good” to have a woman there or because our client has women on their side of the table.  We just want to be invited because we have what it takes to present to win and represent our company well.

We don’t want to hide or delegate our family responsibilities to get ahead at the office.  We don’t want to accept that the only way to achieve our career goals and aspirations is by sacrificing personal relationships and the pursuit of other creative outlets.

Sometimes we’re exhausted trying to be who we’re not.  We just want to focus our energy on doing the job really well.

Will that ever be enough?