As a woman in business, it can seem as though the other women we interact on a professional level with are NOT our friends. Far too often, the behavior young women exhibit during their school years finds its way into their more mature years, creating problems in their professional lives. From gossip and bullying tactics to backstabbing and promoting cliques – all these behaviors are not appropriate for any business person, male or female, and certainly don’t support business productivity in the community at large, which affects everyone.  

Do women hate women? Perhaps some women are not comfortable with others of the same gender due to negative experiences in the past, or perhaps they are merely fearful of failure, and so project their issues onto others. Others may not understand how to handle healthy competition in a mature manner. As a woman it can be tempting to judge other women using surface criteria, but these types of judgments are hardly ever accurate assessments of a person. You will attain a balanced appreciation for another woman when you learn about the skills they have developed through hard work and dedication, and this gives you a much more complete picture of who they are, rather than looking at their shoes or hair.

How do we support one another? As we network and get to know one another through business contact and interaction, learning about one another’s skills and talents, we will find that respect and admiration of each other will grow. Everyone brings something unique and valuable to the table, and we can even learn things from our competitors if we are respectful in our business relationships.

Think of the business community you are involved with as a beehive. Each business woman is responsible for setting out each day to do their work, choosing their own unique direction and purpose. At the end of the day each person adds their earnings to the hive (think “financial institutions”) which benefits everyone, in the long run. Each person is focused on their own work, leaving other individuals alone to do their own thing however they see fit. No one spends any time sabotaging others so that they can get ahead; they are too busy being successful themselves, making the most of lucrative areas.

Collaboration, hard work, and individual focus work together to support our business community, and women in business.