Honest conversations about the psychology of modern work culture
“Amazing women’s intuition at work here. I love how you just sense these things.” My jaw clenches before I can stop it. I grip my presentation clicker tighter, forcing a polite smile. “Actually, it’s called predictive modeling.” The words come out too sharp, or maybe just sharp enough. I click to the next slide, but …
Sarah cornered me in the break room, coffee in hand, desperation in her eyes. “Just five minutes?” I already knew where this was going. Another mentoring request. Another coffee chat. Another hour I didn’t have. For years, I had been the go-to person for every woman struggling with workplace politics, impostor syndrome, and career roadblocks. …
Before I wrote a single line of code, I was writing office birthday cards. “I wanted to chat about your retirement party,” Morgan said, her voice bright with enthusiasm. “The team thought it would be nice if I coordinated it, since I’m the new engineer.” Twenty-five years melted away. I was suddenly back at my first software …
In the office parking lot, my colleague circled my ten-year-old Honda like it was a crime scene. “When are you finally going to upgrade?,” he asked, gesturing at his new BMW. I could have laughed. I could have shrugged. I could have pretended I hadn’t heard him. Instead, I looked him dead in the eye …