November 11, 2024

Businesswoman sitting on chair with legs up in drawn office
While we don’t know if Hillary will succeed in becoming the biggest boss out there, some of us already live with the reality of having a female boss. Whether you like her or not, she has the power to advance our careers, increase our earnings and improve our comfort or quality of life at work. Males and females are wired differently and as such lead and manage differently. Since machismo is so entrenched in our culture and often shows up in unconscious ways, it is critical that we be mindful of our challenging interactions with our female boss(es). Below are some practicable tips on how to best handle working for una jefa.

Mind Your Cultural Norms

Once I made the futile mistake of saying “Good morning, honey!” to my boss. Quickly realizing my mistake (and thinking of my money) humbled myself and apologized. We, as Latino men, tend to be charismatic individuals that like to touch and hug and punctuate our sentences with suggestive and sweet words. This works – with the women in our personal lives. This polarizing approach doesn’t go over well in cross-gender relationships that have a power and control dynamic. You have to be mindful and conscious of your behaviors and language at work and keep it at a professional level only. There’s too great of a risk that your boss may assume you’re getting too friendly or don’t respect her position if you refer to her with words like “sweetheart” or “querida.”

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About The Author

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José is the Executive Director of GRIOT Circle, the only staffed non-profit organization in the country that provides social services to LGBTQ elders of color. José is a Certified Life and Empowerment Coach and a trained psychotherapist. As his writing angles are diverse, he often writes about personal development and growth. His most recent book, which he co-authored, The Happy Law Practice: Strategies to Build Business While Maintaining Peace of Mind, can be found on Amazon. José holds a bachelor’s in Psychology from the University at Albany, an MA in Education and Human Development with a concentration in Community Counseling from The George Washington University, an Advanced Certificate in Executive Leadership and Non Profit Management from NYU and received his Certification as a Professional Life Coach from The Institute from Professional Excellence in Coaching.

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