One conflict that I have seen effect women in business is having an inadequate support system in a particular company. I have seen this unfortunate situation happen first hand through my cousin as she began to navigate through the business world herself. Starting out, she began to notice her company was ran by men predominantly in higher executive type positions. As she started her first few weeks, she found it difficult to communicate and establish relationships with various coworkers some of whom she was working on projects with. As many of her co-workers were men, while working on projects she felt as though no one wanted to take her as seriously. As she gave her input on certain ideas, her other colleagues seemed disengaged. No one seemed to listen to her and she did not feel heard. As other new and existing male employees suggested ideas, they had everyone's attention. The other employees always respected what the men had to say and what they wanted to do.
As the months went by she realized other employees that were also new were starting to form relationship with each other. She felt discouraged and left out. She knew that starting a new position could be challenging as she was new to the workforce but she did not expect it to be like this. She considered herself completely alone with no support. She was being ignored and it was hard to even decipher if she was performing well at her job. She began to realize more that this is not the work environment she wanted to belong to. She needed some sort of support system or positive influences in her life day to day life while navigating the business world. She started to apply for a position with various companies. After a few weeks of applying, the wait was worth it. She secured a job and immediately after starting she could feel a difference in the work environment. As there was more of a mix between men and women, she noticed others listened to her more to her ideas and felt more of an important attribute to her new company.
It is crucial for not just select companies but all companies to step up to the plate and provide women with more opportunities to be a leader. As the years have progressed, there is increasingly more women in business. If businesses actually want to ensure women will stay, they need to provide the proper tools and resources for them. Workplaces must be dedicated to make these adjustments. It may even require some companies to change the way the go about running their business or require more training programs. Employees should know how to respect all of their colleagues. If companies want more women on board they need to build an environment where they feel comfortable while ensuring they have the ability to grow and become successful.
Katelyn Davanzo
