3 Ways to Close Gender Pay Gaps, According to Harvard

Dr. Linda Babcock of Harvard Kennedy School (along with other really smart PHDs) has published academic papers that prove women can close gender pay gaps when they use one or more of the following strategies. 

Have you tried them? 

1. Ahead of the negotiation, remind yourself of two times you advocated for yourself in the past. Have you ever said no to a pushy colleague? Did you stand your ground with your mother-in-law? Remember you HAVE advocated for yourself, especially if it felt courageous.

2. Mentally prepare AS IF you're negotiating on behalf of a friend. If you were going to bat for someone you absolutely adore, would you ask for 20% more? Would you not back down at the first time the other side pushes back? Would you be more calm and more persistent? 

3. Legitimize your request, as something that benefits not just you, but the other side.In other words (as I've been teaching my clients for years!), frame the ask as an act of service. 

For example: 

• You DON'T say, "I need this money because I need to make the down payment on my three bedroom dream house." 

• You DO say, "I'm hopeful you'll see my skill at negotiating as something important I bring to the job." (Boom. So. Good.) 

There are useful and actionable strategies like these GALORE (I share them almost every week on my podcast Negotiate Your Career Growth). 

When you match knowledge like this with simple techniques to help you feel LESS anxiety, that's when you have real power -- not just tidbits of information that you read once thinking, "Oh that's nice, but I couldn't do that..." 

But the power to ACTUALLY engage in career-defining conversations that change the trajectory of your income, your impact, and your life. 

This is why I'm hosting an open and free workshop:  How to advocate for your career growth with less anxiety. 

I'm going to demo THREE of my favorite brain-state changing tools, so you can be equipped with both proven strategy and calm, regulated nervous system that enable you to TAKE ACTION. 

(The workshop registration is over, but you can listen to an excerpt from the workshop on episode 27 of podcast Negotiate Your Career Growth.

Click HERE to listen or read the full transcript.)

Do you know another woman professional who wants to close her gender pay gap with actionable knowledge and less anxiety? Forward her this post!