Support all the Hillarys in the workplace

Why are we STILL not talking about the role gender bias played in the U.S. election — and still plays in our workplaces?

And while we pat ourselves on the back for our newfound political activism, what are we doing to help the Hillarys at the office?

A s millions of Americans on the left protest in the streets, sign online petitions, and bombard elected officials with phone calls in the wake of the Republican sweep in Washington, I am simultaneously heartened and saddened by all of this democratic activity.

Where were all these people back in the Summer and Fall of 2016?

And how often does what happened to Hillary Clinton repeat itself in our workplaces and boardrooms — and why do we all stand by and let it happen there, too?

Hillary Clintons in the workplace

First, my apologies to all of the men and women who DID knock on doors, make phone calls, and raise money for Hillary and the Democrats. Truly, thank you for your service.

And yes, I believe that most, if not all, of the activists protesting around the country DID vote on Election Day. Congrats for doing your civic duty back in November.

My question is about the big conversation we as a nation seem to be avoiding. Or when it starts, we quickly get distracted by something Donald Trump does and focus on the crazy.

And that question is:

Why is a woman who is clearly smarter, more accomplished and more sane than the man she ran against not the leader of the free world right now? And why does that happen all the time in our workplaces, too?

Seriously? Blaming the victim?

I know, I know, I’ve heard people say Hillary was an uninspiring candidate. She ran a bad campaign. Bernie Sanders should have been the candidates. Blah, blah blah. Seriously? You think that’s what happened?

OK, let’s blame the victim…because that’s generally what we do when a woman is involved.

Or perhaps we can all collectively take a minute away from our protesting to do a little serious self-examination. What role did each of us play in Hillary’s loss? And can we take the lessons from this experience and broaden them beyond the election and into our daily lives — a place where we have a great deal more control at the moment?

When outrage does not equal action

What were we all doing when Hillary Clinton needed us knocking on doors and making phone calls to swing state voters back in October? Why weren’t we organizing phone calls by the millions to the FBI and to President Obama demanding an investigation about the role of the Russians in our elections BEFORE Nov. 8? Why weren’t we all getting on a bus or a car or a plane to some state with a close Senate race, so we didn’t need a Women’s March in Washington on January 21?

I know I spent a lot of time knocking on doors in New Hampshire for Hillary and Margie Hassan who won a close Senate race — but I could have done more.

Seriously, why didn’t people do more BEFORE the election when the outcome of who will run our country was still up for grabs?

And when it happens at work

E qually important, while we are out protesting in the streets on the weekends now, what are we doing in our offices Monday through Friday? Are we speaking up when the woman in the next cubicle gets treated as something “less” than a man even though she does her job smarter, quicker and better than everyone around her?

I bet most aren’t doing jack about that.

It is easier to blame a woman and say she was an uninspiring candidate than it is to admit that we all buried our heads in the sand when we could have done more to affect the outcome.

It’s easier to say Hillary ran a poor campaign than to admit that we believed it was more important to go to a kid’s soccer game, put in more hours at work, or do WHATEVER every weekend last fall when we could have been doing more for this highly accomplished female candidate.

It was more important to spend $50 on a new pair of shoes than donate to this female candidate as she stared down the biggest threat to our democracy since the Civil War.

And it’s equally easy to say nothing when the smart girl handles the tough stuff at work magnificently — and then still gets passed over for the promotion she deserves.

A little lazy, a little cowardly

I t’s simple to let the tough woman make the controversial presentation about a critical issue to the the boss — and then sit there mute while the boss criticizes her even if we agree with every single word she said.

Let’s face it. Most of us — men and women alike — are a little lazy, a little cowardly. We’d rather go about our lives and avoid a fight.

Take a woman’s warning seriously? Nah.

But whether it’s in politics or everyday life at the office, when someone warns that calamity is about to befall us, we are slow to react. And even slower still when the warning comes from a woman. And somehow, when we come to our senses, the fact that calamity has occurred always becomes partly the woman’s fault.

And so, I call on all of us who are out there protesting and phone calling to take a minute to see what we are probably NOT doing for the smart accomplished women in our midst.

But still we persist — “shrilly”

The defeat of Hillary Clinton is happening to smart women all around us in ways large and small every day. Just as Hillary got the most votes — but the job still went to a less competent man — women are passed over for promotions and still make less than 80 cents on every dollar a man makes.

Women are still being blamed for being “shrill” when they are just stating the facts. Like Elizabeth Warren, we are routinely being told to sit down and shut up at work — but still we persist.

If you didn’t leave it all on the court for Hillary, you probably aren’t all in for that smart accomplished woman in the next cubicle, on the assembly line, or in the office down the hall either.

Men and women: Take a risk at work

A nd so, before we get back to our phone calls and our sign making, take a risk in the workplace.

Vow to speak up in a meeting for that great woman who stayed until midnight every night for a week to put together the killer presentation. Ask your boss why the smartest woman on your team is taking a job someplace else rather than getting the promotion she deserves. If you see a woman being harassed on the job, say SOMETHING to the perpetrator or go to human resources on her behalf.

If these actions are too hard, just pick up the phone or walk down the hall and tell some woman you work with that you admire her. It will help. Being a smart woman (particularly high up in most American workplaces) is still a drain, and every bit of encouragement helps.

This call to action isn’t just for guys. You ladies need to do this too — because sometimes women do more to undermine their female colleagues than the men do.

Once you have done this, THEN you can get back to saving our democracy. We need you now more than ever.