About this Podcast

Let’s talk about masculinity in the workplace.

According to Ray Arata (the guest on the podcast this week), there is healthy and unhealthy or toxic masculinity. Much of the latter has been tolerated up until recently.

But despite a more optimistic outlook on gender inclusion, there are still too many unwritten rules that drive behaviors of many men in the workplace.

Ray’s 8 unhealthy and unwritten rules that men (and sometimes women) carry include:

1. Real men don’t show their emotions but anger is okay
2. Real men are always confident
3. Real men don’t ask for help
4. Real men make all the decisions
5. Real men are providers, not caregivers
6. Real men are heterosexual and sexually dominant
7. Real men continuously talk and play sports
8. Real men are never handicapped, disabled, or unemployed

I’ve worked in a male-dominated industry before becoming a leadership coach and I have definitely seen all eight of those play out at some point. Some of them in more subtle ways and others in very direct and obvious ways.

And it never felt good. To this day, I remember how certain behaviors or comments from co-workers made me feel and the negative impact those experiences had on the relationships.

In today’s age, time is simply up and things that were tolerated 10 years ago are no longer acceptable.

Whether you are a man, a woman, or non-binary, understanding these dynamics and the toxic or unhealthy masculine behaviors is important for all of us!

Because even if we’re not actively excluding or marginalizing others, being silent in the presence of misbehavior communicates complicity. And I bet that’s the last thing you and I want to be.

I’m excited to share the conversation on ‘How Men Can Become Effective Allies in The Workplace’ with author, speaker, and DEI consultant Ray Arata in this week’s podcast episode.

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