IWD 2022 - Jess Thompson speaks to mumbrella on being told to ‘Be More Gentle’
For International Women's Day 2022, Mumbrella's spoke to several women about how they felt in the industry, their experiences, and what ought to be done to help women achieve parity. Our own Creative Director, Jess Thompson, shared her thoughts.
It’s complicated to address how women feel in this industry. Some feel things have improved for women, others feel things are going backwards.
Jess says: “I’m really encouraged by the direction that things are taking. I see more and more female role models in leadership. I see more men prepared to listen and learn and cooperate and advocate. I feel confident, certainly in the place where I work, that there’s infinite opportunity for growth. And I don’t feel I’m hampered in my own career progress by my gender.”
However, Jess adds: “I think publicly a lot of agencies and agency leaders are saying all of the right things. I think it’s disappointing that we keep seeing reports and survey results come out confirming that not a lot has changed or at least that there’s still a lot of work to do.”
Jess spoke of a personal experience that has stuck with her years after the matter: “I’ve seen and experienced advice for how to grow your career as a woman that I don’t believe a man would ever.”
The advice given to her was “Be more gentle”.
“There is a version of that feedback that says: ‘people will find it easier to make progress, people will find it easier to work with you and you will find more fruitful opportunities if you are more cooperative’,” she says. “I feel like that is the gender-neutral way to give that feedback. ‘Be more gentle’: I would love to hear from a man who has received that advice.”
Jess continued: “Do you know the worst part is? That I took that feedback and it worked. I’m so upset that that advice was right. And I would love to see a management style and a workplace culture where that advice has no place.”
