Getting Clear

According to a recent report by Catalyst, Navigating Organizational Cultures: A Guide for Diverse Women and Their Managers, there are four specific and implicit behaviors necessary for corporate success across industry: performing well, and producing results; networking and building relationships with mentors, sponsors, and coaches; fitting into the corporate culture; and communicating effectively. Requirements to perform and produce results are nothing new for minority professionals. In fact, according to Audra Bohannon, a principal at Global Novations in Waltham, Massachusetts, minorities have been raised to work twice as hard in every professional pursuit.

The “unwritten rules” have not been as obvious–or easy to apply. But Bohannon believes that the problem for most African Americans, particularly women, is that aligning themselves with their company’s

culture presents an inner struggle between operating authentically and managing the expectations of the company code. “Ambivalence is one of the biggest advancement obstacles for black women in corporate America,” Bohannon says. There isn’t ambivalence to moving ahead, but what one has to do to get ahead.

“If you’re not ambivalent,” Bohannon continues, “you’re more focused and more disciplined because you can see what it is that you want. If you’re ambivalent, the energy around ‘Should I or  shouldn’t I?’ or ‘I feel uncomfortable doing it,’ slows you down.”

The reluctance and indecisiveness, Bohannon says, around embracing the unspoken requirements of the work culture, such as developing engaging relationships with colleagues, socializing after work, and attending company functions, has a lot to do with how we were socialized. “Black women tend to be very guarded and very protective about their personal lives. And if what I have to do is not part and parcel to how I was raised or going to compromise me as a black woman then I pause for a moment.”

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Know your line: Bohannon says it’s important for women to know the point at which they would feel compromised. “Where is your line? Most people don’t know the answer. [You] get up to your line and cross and then say, ‘This does not feel good.’ But you can’t figure that out until you put yourself out there. This is not a mental exercise.” Bohannon suggests participating in social

activities: you might enjoy learning and playing golf; you may gain strategic information having drinks after work. However, you may not, for example, agree to working overtime during an important religious holiday–that’s your line.

Don’t be insular: “Our reputation and our brand is that we are very private,” says Bohannon. “We don’t talk about ourselves; we don’t share a lot about ourselves. It’s how we were socialized. We had to keep it close to the vest. That’s how we were raised.” But in workplace strategies such as securing sponsorship, which is key for advancement in an organization, you have to be seen as not just a great worker, but a team member. “For sponsorship, chemistry is in place, because this is when I

choose to invest in your future. I’m going to co-sign for you and ensure that you have the right job opportunities. But you have to be as attractive as you possibly can based on the key requirements for success.”

The most important part of conquering ambivalence is to be clear about what you want for your career and aligning with an organization that matches those goals. “Those who are clear can take advantage of opportunities. Also, managing ambivalence is about getting in touch with how you were raised. There may be things that you will never compromise on. But there might be things that no longer work, and you have to let them go and embrace something that’s new.”