Irrespective of where your organization is situated, there comes a time when one needs to deal with ageism, stereotyping, discrimination and sexism. While none of these are ideal or regarded as traits of good behavior, you are sure to encounter each of these at some point in your career.
Female cliques are another equally challenging thing you may encounter in your workplace. The knowledge of female cliques at work and the best way to deal with it can help you lead a much better professional life without getting frustrated or breaking down emotionally.
What Exactly are Female Cliques at work?
Before that let us have a look at the cliques’ definition
Cliques are groups that run on a set of unwritten rules or principles and anyone who breaks those rules treated differently or even rebuked for being different. These groups usually ruled by one or two dominant and influential members. They are the ones who set the rules.
Female cliques are similar groups among females. Usually, female cliques are common in most workplaces. Female cliques could be a group of fashion crazy females who adhere to the latest styles. If that is the kind of clique, any woman who is traditional or not abreast of the latest fashion and trends is sure to suffer.
Female cliques can make life difficult for women who do not belong to these rules or prefer to be themselves. Here are some simple tips that will help you deal with female cliques or difficult people, without being a catch in a mess.
8 Simple Tips To Deal With Female Bullies at Work:
Cliques bound to be strictly stereotypical. Do not get carried away just because you think being a part of the clique offers security. Here are the things you need to keep in mind when dealing with difficult people.
1. Stay Strong Enough To Be Yourself:
You must be yourself wherever you are. You should not fear to be unique or different. If someone from a clique says you are old fashioned or ‘aunty types’, the first best approach is to ignore such comments. If you keep answering every Tom, Dick, and Harry who comments at you, there will be no time left for any sensible work.
What you must remember is that you are special the way you are. If you like the way you are, someone else’s comment or opinion should not affect you in any way.
2. Do Not Join Others in Badmouthing or Isolating Someone:
Cliques are annoying because they cannot bear people of different thoughts or perspectives. As soon as they come across such individuals, they start badmouthing such individuals. You’ve to stay away from such female cliques.
You must also make sure you are alert of such workplace cliques and do not join them in badmouthing others. And, you need to maintain your character. You must also stop people from targeting or isolating certain individuals.
3. Do Not Seek Fake Security in Cliques:
Very often, members join girl cliques because of the security it offers. Once you are in a clique, people outside the clique would fear to target you out of fear of the influential members in the clique. This gives you a fake kind of security that coaxes you to join the clique.
Do not get carried away by the trend. While it may seem easy to get along with such cliques simply by following the rules, never forget that someone who fails to go with the flow suffers in such cliques.
4. Choose Your Words Carefully Always:
In adverse situations, confrontation may become a necessity. In such instances, you need to be very careful with your words. Some people get easily carry away and speak whatever comes to their mind. Cliques may try all sorts of tactics to win the argument. A wrong word or phrase from your end can get you to screw up.
The best approach would be to maintain a cool head in such instances. Speak less but make sure you know exactly what you speak. Your words need to be sensible. If anyone counter questions you, you must prepare to answer all their questions.
5. Never Let Your Confidence Falter:
Most often, cliques in the workplace dominate or rules over weak minds. That is why you need to make sure that your confidence never falters. The members of a female clique may try many different tricks to
6. Confront When It Needed:
Most of the issues for female cliques arise from a lack of sensitivity. One should always respect both genders but never define how gender needs to behave. In most of the developing countries, gender equality is not truly practiced.
In such places, there is a fixed definition of how a man should be and how a woman should be. Any deviation in the set rule may spell tyranny in your life. If you are facing such issues from female cliques in your organization, face it boldly. If the need arises, you may even talk to the management about it.
7. Change Can Happen If You Try:
Sometimes it is hard to take a stand for yourself when one feels like anything can’t be changed. Dismiss such inner voices that head up these thoughts. Always try to express yourself and make sure it is heard. It is one of the greatest ways to deal with discriminating behaviors at workplaces.
Try to bring change by standing up against such behavior. When you raise your voice, there may be others who have been silent so long who may speak up and support you. Be bold and courageous.
8. Leave If Really Nothing Changes:
Most organizations wish to have a healthy environment in their workplace. That is why they do not encourage office cliques. If you speak to the management, they may take corrective action to amend the situation.
But this may not always be the case. Some organizations truly nurture a casual and carefree attitude. In such instances, they may not take any step to amend the situation. If the environment becomes bad, you will find it depressing and frustrating. In such situations, it would be wise to leave the firm or organization.
Firms that run by female cliques have few chances of prospering. You must look for a better job where you can achieve greater success.
