We encounter stereotypes everywhere, from the workplaces to the general society, and they can be unfair not to mention harmful because they demoralize people. This does no good for productivity in the workplace. Mainly, stereotypes are related to sexual presence, gender, religion, race, and age. The fact that there are people of all age groups, sexual preferences, nationalities, gender and religion, the stereotypes in the workplaces are usually the same as the ones in the general society. Stereotypes do not necessarily have to involve harassments, even the belief about someone just because of their status or race is the same. For the society to grow, all these stereotypes have to be broken, and this is something that will require not just the self-will, but also a lot of determination. Here are some ways and tips on how you can make a change and dismantle these preconceptions.
There are people that may feel that you don’t deserve equal pay regardless of the fact that you may have the qualifications, just because you are of different gender or race. You have to demand that you deserve, through negotiating for better salaries and benefits, asking for more responsibilities and skills, knowledge and generally what you deserve. There are other people that feel that people of different status are not ambitions or aggressive enough, and you prove such people ring by owning your goals and growth.
To take go further in your careers, you have to let such people know that you are capable and willing to fight for your rightful place. There will always people that will feel threatened by your new authority and success when you get there, and these are sentiments that you should expect and not let deter you. Having a new status, you have the chance and the power to fight the negativity. You should help other people that are discriminated against to step up too, to change the status.
If there is something that you feel can be done better, or need improvement, you should say it because not saying anything makes the people think that you are comfortable. You should also never make the mistake of trying to change yourself so that you can fit in, and this is just giving in to the intimidation. Not all stereotypes are negative, and in this journey, you will have to honest and trustworthy so that you do not seem like you have an ulterior motive. This is one of the best ways that you can get the support of people that feel the same as you. This is a journey that you will have to choose to embark on despite the setbacks because the feeling of satisfaction and success are totally worth it in the end.