Flipping through a People magazine while getting a pedicure this past week, I ran across an interview with Cher. Cher was asked how she stayed so fit and she responded that she'd always considered herself a bit of a "tomboy". I hadn't heard that term in perhaps decades. So I looked it up. According to Wikipedia: A tomboy is a girl who exhibits characteristics or behaviors considered typical of a boy,[1][2] including wearing masculine clothing and engaging in games and activities that are physical in nature and are considered in many cultures to be unfeminine or the domain of boys.[2] I ride a mountain bike, and I can repair a leaky toilet, but I don't consider myself to be masculine. I'd prefer the leaky toilet repair duty to be the domain of boys, or indeed anyone else but me, but sometimes sh*t just has to get done. Wikipedia goes on to describe the history of the term and quotes sociologist Barrie Thorne who suggested: "adult women tell with a hint of pride as if to suggest: I was (and am) independent and active; I held (and hold) my own with boys and men and have earned their respect and friendship; I resisted (and continue to resist) gender stereotypes".[12] Shouldn't we all start by offering mutual respect for each other? When we put one gender or another in the position of needing to earn respect, we place the other as the authority of whom is worthy of respect. Why do women, in particular, need to earn respect? Should women have to act masculine to be valued? And if they do, what if they are "too masculine?" How does that affect your opinion of their ability to contribute? Whether you are voting or recruiting job applicants, if your candidate has had fun wearing a pink tutu or more seriously, flies airplanes, what should matter most is whether they reflect your values and can get the job done.
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Janet Kerbyis passionate about empowering organizations to re-imagine and revolutionize their business through digital transformation. Janet helps clients develop value driven digital transformation strategies that start with the question of "why"and gets realized through solid strategies for around "what" and "how". Archives
January 2019
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