In researching a talk-strategy I read “Women Don’t Ask: Negotiation and the Gender Divide” by authors Linda Babcock and Sara Laschever. I was horrified to discover that women’s salary expectations are up to 32% lower than the expectations of men for the same job. Even more disturbing is their finding that women often don’t even bother to ask for more.
Interview excerpts from Marcela: “I would never ask for [a bonus]. If it wasn't freely given, I wouldn't ask for it. I might gripe about it at home, but that would be the extent of it,” and Becky: “When I go into a negotiation...I think about maintaining that relationship before I think about my own [needs] really” fueled my determination to break my silence.
I prepped for my “talk.” Dinnertime conversations and food-stained drafts about what I bring to the table. Hours of Rocky anthems. Daily show-me-the-money mirror sessions. Restless nights visualizing my boss in his white Hanes, Goldtoe socks, and shiny black shoes. Ready and amped up, I initiated the talk.
But in truth our “talk” was nothing short of a song and dance.
He set the tone with Kanye’s “Gold-digger.” I stared him down with classic Willie Nelson “If You’ve Got the Money I’ve Got the Time.” He rose up out of his chair with Prince “Money Don’t Matter Tonight.” That shook me a bit. I recovered with Jet “Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is.” He struggled a sappy “Can’t Buy Me Love.” I whipped out my air guitar and rocked ACDC “Money Talks.” He tossed ACDC back at me with “What Do You Do For Money Honey”? Disco Donna answered “She Works Hard for the Money,” but he summoned the Notorious B.I.G. (may he R.I.P.) for a powerful “Mo’ money, Mo’ problems” and who can argue with the dead? Frustrated, I shook my moneymaker with Destiny’s Child “Bills, Bills, Bills!” and I thought I heard Ol' Dirty Bastard’s "Got Your Money" (I readied Shania’s “Ka-ching”) but instead he ended our song and dance with a plain and Simply Red “Money’s Too Tight to Mention.”
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