WE GOT U:

The belief that women can do almost anything, kinda-sorta-not really

The glass ceiling was built and is maintained by bias. Women are often perceived as being capable of helpful, pleasant, and service-oriented tasks such as taking notes, fetching coffee, and sending Zoom invites. Women are not seen as capable of performing surgery, litigating a case, designing a building, or running a company.

Consider:

In healthcare, 70% of female doctors report being mistaken for nurses or techs, even after introducing themselves as “Doctor.”

Women in leadership are 3x more likely than men to be misidentified as support staff.

Spend one week auditing where your time is being spent: logistics, emotional labor, unrecognized service?

What percentage of your time went to strategic vs. support tasks?

Which of your efforts got visibility?

What assumptions do others make about your role?

Spend the second week intentionally redirecting time toward high-impact or restorative activities. Use what you learned to discuss your value add during mentoring sessions, performance reviews, or touchpoints with your manager.