Speech to Women in 1985 Still Relevant Today

Apparently I’m a pack rat.  How else can you explain coming across a set of index cards for a speech I gave to a women’s organization…in 1985!

If I hadn’t dated the index cards, I would not have been able to guess the year, or decade. The title of my speech was, “Why Aren’t Women Making It?”

By 1985, the Virginia Slims slogan, “You’ve come a long way baby” was 17 years old and the “I can bring home the bacon” Enjoli perfume slogan was five years old.  Despite the advertisers’ efforts, the question lingered, “Why aren’t women making it?”

At that time women represented 51% of the population and earned 59¢ for every $1.00 earned by a man – and there had been no change in ten years. My non-Internet based research at the time pointed out several more statistics of inequality in the workplace.

The conclusion for this apparent lack of progress?  I said, “We’re doing it to ourselves.”

Here’s where this 30+ year old conclusion gets creepy: in many ways, we’re still doing it to ourselves.

12 Road Blocks

My 1985 speech included 12 ways that women were sabotaging our own efforts. These 12 “road blocks” were presented as the outcome of a national survey:

1. Women were not helping other women succeed – which meant few role models.
2. Many were guilty of “piling on.” Trying to do it all.  The “Superwoman” syndrome.
3. Women were too serious…
4. Or afraid of failure…
5. Or afraid of success!
6. Many were not good at taking risks…
7. Or were not good team players.
8. How about the perfectionists? I even quoted one of my peers, “Everything worth doing is not worth doing well.”
9. Many were guilty of self-sacrifice. Overwork does not make one happy or glorified.
10. Women were not competitive, in fact, not interested in being competitive…
11. Or in playing hardball.
12. And lastly, many women were not known for “playing big.” Whether that is “big picture” – or just working toward a bigger role that could alter their future, perhaps a leadership role.

4 Ways to Overcome

To address the head nodding and gloomy faces in the room, my speech presented one of the researcher’s solutions for fighting these road blocks.  Called the 4-H approach:

1. Humor. Survey said…women have lost their sense of humor in trying to be taken seriously. Lighten up! Smile. Humor can diffuse a difficult situation better than being defensive.
2. Honesty – as in self-honesty when it comes to over-scheduling or relaxing before tension becomes a health issue. Stop taking on too much.
3. Humanity.  Help other women – above you and below you. 
4. Hunger. That’s the quality that encourages risk-taking.  Getting out of one’s comfort zone.

Tried & True

I ended my speech with a couple “tried and true” wisdoms that are still lurking around today:

1. If you’re not failing – you’re not succeeding.
2. The only way to predict the future is to invent it.

Nothing new about those sayings.  And unfortunately, nothing old or out-of-date about the 12 road blocks in my 1985 speech. While we are certainly more aware today, that doesn’t mean there isn’t a road block or two…or more…that greets us when we look in the mirror. 

So…now that I found these note cards, when will I get to throw them out because they are no longer relevant?

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About the Author

Pat Meads has been a member of AWC since 1976 – in Minneapolis, Kansas City, and now as an independent. Pat spent 39 years in Sales Promotion, Advertising, Marketing and Event Planning in Minneapolis and Kansas City. In 2001 she started her own business, Promotions On Call, Inc. – focusing on marketing, event planning and trade show management. Pat is now retired, but continues to use her skills with local charities. She has a BA in Journalism from the University of Minnesota and a Masters in Journalism/Integrated Marketing Communications from the University of Kansas. Pat is currently serving her second term as Treasurer for the National Board of Directors for AWC.