I went to a work "morale event" this week. It was go-karting. I was one of three females there. I had to put a helmet sock over my head and mess up my makeup and hair. I've only done karting once in my life - unlike the guys who said "we know these" when the rules guy did the safety briefing. I don't think of myself as a crappy or hesistant driver... I can be pretty aggressive. But I suck at karting.
I really tried. I tried to get the feel of the car. I tried to be aggressive. I tried to copy what the guys around me were doing. But all I got was the blue flag waved frantically at me which meant "pull to the right and get the feck out of the way because you're blocking guys behind you who are better than you."
I came off the track and said - very loudly - "They do team days at spas, you know!"
I felt really uncomfortable through the whole thing.
On the way home, I started thinking about the morale events we've had over the last few years. Bowling, Pool, Karting, Baseball, Basketball.
Yes, women bowl. Yes, women play pool. Yes women can drive karts. Yes, women like to watch baseball and basketball.
But you gotta admit, these are all more mannish activities.
There are four strategies that I can think of to deal with these events:
- Don't go (i.e. miss the networking opportunity)
- Go but don't participate (i.e. be a decorative woman)
- Go and be so good that you beat the men at their own game (this takes talent or a lot of practice - who can be bothered? - and ends up getting you seen as one of the boys)
- Go and participate and be crap (i.e. be humiliated and be forced to be a "good sport" even though this activity isn't something you would ever choose to do or pay money for).
I tend to go with 4, and try to leave early. But I don't really have that much fun.
Am I reading too much into this, or are these events evidence of a low-grade sexism?
(feel free to answer in the Comments)
I am trying to think of team events that I'd be more comfortable with. The goals of a team event are decompression, interaction, networking, fun.
How about:
- Linedancing?
- Karaoke?
- Salsa lessons?
- Booking up a comedy club and asking them to pause between acts for us to eat and hang out?
- Trivia night booked at a pub?
- Wine tasting basics evening?
- Cooking class?
Now I'm looking up stuff online. Check this out:
- Drum class
- Rowing
- There's a guy that comes and reads your palm! Now we're talking!
- Go to a local tourist haunt (how many people see tourist sites in their own town?)
- Geocaching or treasure hunts
- Chocolate tasting class! YEAH!
And yes there are cooking classes, wine tasting, etc., too.
OK now I'm being pro-active. I'm going to email these links to my boss. We'll see what happens...