It’s time for an honest conversation about today’s workplace. Men in the workforce are expressing fear that their actions may be misunderstood or that they might be falsely accused of harassment. While research supports the fact that the percentage of false accusations is extremely small compared to actual harassment incidents, this fear is reinforced by the many news reports of politicians, entertainers, and athletes accused of such behavior.

Women worry that their outreach to male colleagues and supervisors may be construed as flirting or soliciting favoritism. Women are also concerned about losing access to mentoring, networking, and career growth opportunities. When career growth paths are restricted by gender, the percentage of staff that can contribute to the overall success of the organization is limited.

This Dare to Ask session, hosted by APWA’s Diversity and Young Professional Committees, will encourage you to think about your organization’s traditions, practices, and policies and how they affect the workplace environment, career growth opportunities, and achievement of organizational mission and goals.

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of this session, you will be better able to:

Recognize when gender issues are affecting the hiring, retention, and professional growth of men and women.
Challenge workplace traditions and practices that impede the ability of women and men to work together.
Initiate a dialogue in your workplace about assumptions and misconceptions that make it difficult for your work teams to function and succeed.

Rhonda Spivey

Administrative Analyst, City of Durham, NC

Appearances