What is Self-Editing?
Are you familiar with self-editing and the invisible load of hyper-vigilance it creates for certain groups? Self-editing occurs when women and members of historically excluded groups encounter workplaces dynamics that require them to shape-shift or change their behavior to fit into gendered expectations at work. For example, Insights by Stanford [Business School] says,
"To be successful, you must be assertive and confident, but if you are aggressive as a woman you are sometimes punished for behaving in ways that are contrary to the feminine stereotype."
Olivia A O’Neill and Charles O’Reilly’s research describes how assertive women leaders must self-monitor and edit their own behavior to get promoted. Joan C. Williams and other researchers documented the ways underrepresented groups monitor and self-edit themselves at work to ensure they don’t leave a negative impression. Additionally, research by Irissa Cisternino and JJ Jones explores how societal Pressures, Safety, and Labeling force many LGBTQIA community members to self-police.
Thus, the invisible load of self-monitoring and vigilance leaders expend is a high price to pay and results in lost productivity. Instead of spending mental energy on innovating or developing new products, underrepresented groups waste time navigating workplace cultures that require them to self-edit. This phenomenon could be an indication of non-inclusive workplace cultures. Therefore, organizations can minimize the self-editing that leaders are compelled to do at work by creating inclusive environments.
How to Minimize the Need for Self-Editing
This means ensuring that women, people of color, and the full breadth of identities are well represented at all levels of leadership and that their voices are welcomed. Also, this could entail intentionally creating opportunities for women and historically excluded groups supports to feel seen, heard, and respected and a commitment welcoming workplace environments that don’t necessitate the need to self-edit.
So, check out my free LinkedIn Course and this video on self-editing to learn how women are impacted by this workplace dynamic.
Self-editing: Coping workplace techniques for women of color from Nano Tips for Identifying and Overcoming Unconscious Bias in the Workplace with Desiree Coleman-Fry by Desiree Coleman-Fry
