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Have you ever had your ideas doubted by coworkers? How about your ideas on a topic on which you are extremely well-versed? I get the sense that this phenomenon is fairly common among women, who are not assumed to have expertise even when we do.
The next time you’re the resident expert in the room and your coworkers ignore or push against your contribution, instead of raising your fist in the air, try punching the patriarchy in a new way.
Weave in specific examples of your prior experience that relate directly to the task at hand. Don’t forget to include the outcomes that you experienced. Expressing yourself this way accomplishes 2 things. First, you are reminding your audience of the legitimate knowledge and experience that you have—without explicitly talking about the number of years you’ve been doing this work. Second, you are giving tangible, relatable examples for them to consider with outcomes that they can emulate.
I like this process because it gives you something to say when you're frustrated, you don’t risk being perceived as a bragging know-it-all, and it gives you permission to let go if others still ignore your ideas. This isn’t magic. Your coworkers still have the opportunity to choose to ignore what you are saying, even with your logical explanations. At least you know that what you said was true, that your truth is based in real experience, and that you tried to save them from themselves. That’s all you can do. This process works a lot but it does rely on other people being open to receiving your explanation and deferring to your authority.