Alicia Menendez on Avoiding the "Likability Trap" at Work

9 to 5ish with theSkimm

theSkimm

Entrepreneurship, Careers, Business

4.7 • 1.9K Ratings

🗓️ 20 September 2023

⏱️ 33 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Alicia Menendez, MSNBC anchor, award-winning journalist, and host of the Latina to Latina podcast, was so concerned about being likable at work that she wrote a whole book about it. She even created a name for that pressure women feel to be amenable in the office – "the likability trap." And as an on-camera journalist, she’s fallen into that trap throughout her career. In this episode, we spoke with Alicia about her journey with likability, how that affected her professional and personal wellbeing, and her recommendations for carving out your own professional identity. In this episode, shares: Why she didn’t go into politics like her father How she’s dealt with the pressure of other people’s expectations What she’s done to carve out her own leadership style and professional identity How she talks to her daughters about likability Her advice for avoiding getting caught up in the trap, and getting your coworkers and managers to do the same

Transcript

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0:00.0	We've sold women this lie.
0:02.2	We've sold women this idea that if they just ask for things the right way or if they just
0:07.5	present themselves the right way, then the world is their oyster and they could have anything
0:11.7	they want.
0:12.7	The problem with that is that it places the burden back on women.
0:16.5	It creates this sense that we are responsible for getting or not getting what we want and
0:22.1	that we alone are the ones who can fix it instead of thinking as a structural challenge.
0:28.0	I'm Carly Zaken and I'm Danielle Weisberg.
0:31.0	Welcome to 9-5-ish with the skin.
0:33.7	We've run into so many questions over the years and had so many moments where we needed advice
0:39.9	and we got it from women who'd been there.
0:43.5	And that's what we're bringing you with this show.
0:45.6	Each week we're helping you get what you want out of your career by talking to the smartest
0:49.9	leaders we know because we know your work life is a lot more than 9-5.
0:55.6	All right, let's get into it.
0:59.8	Today our guest is Alicia Menendez.
1:03.1	She is the anchor of American Voices on MSNBC, the author of the book The Likeability
1:08.9	Trap and the host of the Latina-To Latina podcast.
1:13.9	Prior to joining MSNBC, Alicia was a contributor for HuffPost, Fusion TV, Vice and Bustle among
1:20.7	others. And before she was a journalist, she was in the politics and advocacy space working
1:26.0	for organizations like Rock the Boat and Democracy USA.
1:30.3	Alicia, welcome to 9-5-ish.
	...

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