The Power of Being Heard: Elevate Above Sticky Floors and Glass Ceilings

Have you ever sat in a meeting brimming with great ideas, only to feel invisible? Have you shared a solution, for it to be ignored, then suddenly praised moments later when rephrased by someone else? You’re not alone. For professional women across industries and career stages, this experience reflects long-standing barriers in the workplace—barriers dubbed the "sticky floors" and "glass ceilings."
Whether you're a corporate leader, an entrepreneur, or navigating career transitions at 40, 50, 60, and beyond, the ability to have your voice heard is crucial. It's not just about recognition; it’s about influence, self-fulfillment, and paving the way for others to follow. This blog explores the challenges women face in being heard, wisdom from women who share strategies for overcoming these barriers, and the steps we can take to create a better future for women in all rooms, spaces, and at all phases of life and work.

Understanding Sticky Floors and Glass Ceilings
It’s likely you’ve heard about the "glass ceiling"—an invisible barrier preventing women from rising to senior leadership roles. But what about the "sticky floor"? While the glass ceiling represents the external systems blocking women’s upward career mobility, sticky floors reference the internal barriers that hold women back, such as fear of failure, self-doubt, or undervaluing their own abilities. I believe the key isn’t building self-confidence. It's about cultivating self-trust.

What Do Sticky Floors Look Like?

• Second-guessing your abilities, even when you're qualified.
• Avoiding opportunities because of fear of rejection, judgment, or embarrassment.
• Failing to speak up during meetings for fear of being labelled "pushy" or "difficult." Or, even worse, seeing your ideas taken—whether unintentionally or with intent.
• Diminishing the value of your voice by comparing your ideas with others' ideas.

The Double Whammy
The combination of sticky floors and glass ceilings is powerful. Together, they hinder career progression and can erode self-trust (aka confidence in one's capabilities). Identifying these challenges is the first step toward overcoming them.

Breaking Through the Silence: Strategies for Elevating Your Voice
Breaking through the sticky floor starts with addressing the fear and self-doubt holding you back. Tackling the glass ceiling requires understanding how external systems work and advocating for yourself within them. Here’s how to do both:

Own Your Expertise - Acknowledge and Trust Your Own Competence
Too many women downplay their achievements or wait to be recognized. Instead:

• Keep a record of your successes and contributions.
• Practise sharing these accomplishments in meetings. Use language like, "Based on my success with [XYZ], I suggest we implement [solution]." Avoid overusing conditional statements or repeatedly mentioning that others have acknowledged your contributions. For example, saying, "XYZ mentioned that my suggestion was appreciated," can come across as passive and redundant.
• Be your own best champion. Advocate for yourself with humility and determination.

Adopt Assertive Communication
Strong, assertive communication ensures your voice is heard without coming across as aggressive. Tools to consider:

• Use "I" statements to own your ideas. For example, "I suggest moving forward with this strategy because…" instead of "Maybe we could…"
• Avoid hedging phrases like "I think" or "Maybe." Speak with conviction.

Learn the Language of Decision-Makers
As leadership mentor Elizabeth Bachman highlights in the recent Executive Encore video podcast, men and women often "speak different languages" at work. Many women hint or imply rather than explicitly asking, leading to misunderstandings or missed opportunities. Instead:

• Be clear and direct. Rather than saying, "It might be good to explore this option," say, "I recommend this option because…."
• Adapt your communication style when presenting to decision-makers. Understand their priorities and frame your ideas around them.

Invest in Yourself and Support Networks
Building and cultivating self-trust starts with being your best self. Becoming your best self requires an investment. Seek out assertiveness training and leadership coaching, or join women’s professional networks that provide mentorship and skill development. Assertiveness training in my early 30's was a turning point in mastering my life and work. It laid the foundation for self-trust, nurturing a sense of competence that fueled further growth and development.

Championing Change in the Corporate World
While individual effort is key, we also need structural changes in workplace cultures to ensure women are genuinely heard. Organizations can amplify women's voices by implementing initiatives such as:

• Leadership Training: Workshops that educate all leaders on the importance of listening to diverse perspectives.
• Reverse Mentoring: Encouraging senior leaders to learn from junior employees (including women) to better understand their challenges.
• Representation in Decision-Making: Involving women in key discussions at every level, valuing their perspectives, recognizing their contributions, and ensuring they receive proper credit for their input, contributions, and work.

Highlighting successes inspires others. For example:

• In my corporate consultancy and executive coaching work, I have seen organizations adopting new communication protocols that ensure each meeting includes time for all voices to be heard - with respect and gratitude for everyone's input - where everyone feels they belong.
• Companies are actively championing gender equity by promoting policies and providing education on listening skills.
• Women are stepping up to support their colleagues by advocating for them in meetings where their voices are interrupted or overlooked or when their ideas are hijacked either unintentionally or intentionally. These women are doing so with poise, competence, and grace.

More women are pursuing board positions, equipping themselves with the necessary professional development to excel in these roles. Competent Boards, a women-owned business, offers world-class training. See the resources below.

Empowering Women Entrepreneurs and Business Owners
Women entrepreneurs have a remarkable opportunity to create impactful platforms, boldly express their decisions, and amplify their voices. By doing so, they ensure their choices are respected, their voices resonate, and their presence commands attention.

Lead With Self-Trust
Women entrepreneurs tell me they want to "do it differently". They want to lead differently, and they are redefining industries from technology to hospitality. By creating businesses with strong cultures that validate individual choices and value everyone's voice, they directly challenge existing gender norms.

Build Your Network
Professional growth flourishes within the entrepreneurial community, particularly among women-owned businesses. Entrepreneurs who connect with other women in business exchange wisdom and expertise, collaborate on projects, build capability and capacity to serve their diverse markets, and amplify each other’s voices.

Offer Mentorship
Change happens when we lift others up. Through mentorship, we empower the next generation of women entrepreneurs to step forward with belief in their ability to build their skills and build a business that brings pride and contributes to self-actualization - for themselves and others.

Transitioning at 40, 50, 60, and Beyond
Transitions later in life bring unique challenges. Whether you're moving into a new position, a new career, starting entrepreneurship, or planning retirement, the secret to thriving lies in ensuring your voice remains influential and impactful.

Honour Your Expertise
At this stage, your personal and professional experience is an asset. Lean into the authority you’ve earned and advocate for yourself when pivoting industries, returning to the workforce, or setting out on your own. Statements like, "I bring [X years of experience] in [field/skill] to this role" underscore credibility. Sometimes, it’s about cultivating credibility in your own belief about who you are and what you bring to the table. Incorporating these statements into your self-talk is essential.

Remaster Your Life and Work
This is the perfect time to turn invisibility into a superpower. Use this period for self-reflection and a retreat from the noise and comparison. What skills, passions, or experiences haven’t you fully tapped into yet? Could this be the time to start the consulting business you’ve always dreamed of? Or the time to use your expertise to advocate for a cause close to your heart?

Prioritize Your Support. Position Yourself with the Best.
Surround yourself with professionals who can support you in being your best self. Work with qualified coaches with experience in specialized niches. Find experienced mentors, dynamic networking groups and high-level masterminds to receive guidance tailored to your phase of life.

Invest your time, energy, and money with the expectation of a return on your investment. Create a Self-Leadership Plan to track and measure your ROI.

Be mindful of networking that focuses on excessive social interactions. These types of interactions often come with behavioural traps and pitfalls that can undermine your self-regard, amplify insecurities, and divert your focus from becoming the best version of yourself.

Make Yourself Heard
From combating sticky floors to shattering glass ceilings, the power of being heard cannot be overstated. Whether you're leading in the boardroom, building your own business, transitioning careers, or balancing caregiving responsibilities, your voice holds power and significance.
It’s not about shouting louder—it’s about speaking strategically, with clarity and competence, and ensuring that tables across all professions and industries understand your value.

Resources and Next Steps

• Want to take the first step toward amplifying your voice? Watch and listen to the Executive Encore Podcast and YouTube Channel for insights and strategies to help you thrive professionally, no matter your stage of life.
• Subscribe to the Encore Newsletter today and join the community of women transforming their invisibility into unstoppable strength.
• Listen to the video podcast and read the blog featuring Katie O'Malley, who shares more about empowering women and advocating when female colleagues' voices are undermined. 
• Explore world-class training for becoming a competent board member. Competent Boards is a WEConnect International certified woman-owned business founded and operated by Helle Bank Jorgensen.
• Read Glass Ceilings and Sticky Floors: Shattering Limiting Beliefs and Toxic Behaviors to Uncover Infinite Possibilities by Erica Rooney.