4 ms·

As a senior executive at a financial institution, and a father of a daughter, you may not be surprised to hear that I don't agree with this characterisation. T

As a senior executive at a financial institution, and a father of a daughter, you may not be surprised to hear that I don't agree with this characterisation. The article focuses on the self-preservation concerns and it would be a lie to suggest that there's no CYA involved. But it's not the only dynamic. As a senior exec I both legally represent my employer and am seen to represent it by many employees. If how I act or communicate is misconstrued this could have far reaching consequences. But more important to both of these (because the real risk of something going pear-shaped isn't that large), is the effect that, seemingly inconsequential, actions can have on the recipient. As an example, a mentee of mine received an email from a senior colleague asking her to go for drinks. She asked my advice as she felt obliged to go but didn't want to give the wrong impression. She was quite concerned. Turns out, he had invited a number of people who had performed well on a project but had omitted to be clear about why they were invited. Entirely innocent, easily misconstrued. In my view, if senior folk get more thoughtful about their actions, it's likely to be net positive. There may be some unintended consequences (there usually are) but I don't believe the real risk is especially high.

danesparza 8y ago
I appreciate your thoughtful response. Thanks! I agree with your conclusion that "if senior folk get more thoughtful about their actions, it's likely to be net positive". You also mentioned that "If how I act or communicate is misconstrued this could have far reaching consequences". I agree -- and this also cuts both ways. The original point I was trying to (clumsily) make was: One could easily see the men in the original article as actively excluding women from positions of power. The 'far reaching consequences' in this case would be punishing women who have legitimate grievances for raising those grievances and emphasizing a power gap between genders.

danesparza 8y ago

I appreciate your thoughtful response. Thanks! I agree with your conclusion that "if senior folk get more thoughtful about their actions, it's likely to be net positive". You also mentioned that "If how I act or communicate is misconstrued this could have far reaching consequences". I agree -- and this also cuts both ways. The original point I was trying to (clumsily) make was: One could easily see the men in the original article as actively excluding women from positions of power. The 'far reaching consequences' in this case would be punishing women who have legitimate grievances for raising those grievances and emphasizing a power gap between genders.