I was the only woman in the room natch, so I had to wait until later to hash over the humiliation with female friends. Surprisingly enough, almost all of them had similar experiences with at least one corporate dandy. We all agreed that this hand-holding crap is much worst than the creepy limp fish, sweaty palm slide, or disingenuous half-hug.
But what to do the next time it happens? Perhaps pick up that dropped jaw, go with the flow, and play the princess, screaming: “OFF WITH HIS HEAD!”
Or maybe I should simply take this opportunity to offer a word of advice to all the men out there. The boardroom is no place for chivalry. Women in business want to be treated the same as their male counterparts—we just want a fair (and normal, please!) shake.
Remember, if you don’t have anything nice to say, my door is always open …
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