I have great ideas that would benefit everyone in my workplace and make things simpler and more efficient, but since I’m “still a newbie” (I haven’t been there over a full year yet, but almost.), all my ideas are dismissed without being heard or even given a fake attempt of appearing interested in hearing them. I get cut off and talked to like I’m stupid. I have a really good point if they would just hear me out to the end. I’m a smart girl with good ideas and I hate being silenced or treated like I’m slow. I can’t move forward with life and gain experience when they are holding me back. They aren’t allowing me to succeed or grow. I aspire to open up my own business one day, but I can’t do anything until I have the knowledge and experience I need to go out on my own. Are they trying to keep me here forever? Is this why they belittle me? Is this why they are keeping me on the welcome mat and won’t let me come in to get the full feel of the place? Let me advance, let me learn, allow me to keep pushing forward. Let me have my dream become a reality one day. I’m tired of being treated like I’m worthless. Stop silencing me before I’ve even spoken.
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I’m sorry they won’t listen to you. There are all kinds of reasons why they might be acting like that, and most of them reflect poorly on those people. If you think it could be because you’re relatively new, hopefully they’ll listen to you more over time.
I hope so. But they won’t even move me into my own office. They still have me share an office with one of the Officers of the company. She’s even started calling me her assistant now, when I’m way too qualified and skilled to be labeled an assistant.
I know how you feel. You try to make improvements and people don’t want to change and just won’t listen to your ideas. I’ve never had anyone downright rude to me, but they always seem to come up with some stupid reason why your idea won’t work without even giving it a try. After a few years I finally seem to be taken more seriously for the ideas and talents I have, but now it’s become a matter of getting any sort of appreciation for what I do. If they ever figure out you have good ideas, they’ll gladly take them for free. Been trying to get a decent raise for a few months now and keep getting pushed back on a date when this might occur.
Likewise I also have a dream of starting my own business someday too. What kind of business are you looking to make? It’s kinda silly and might not work out, but myself, I want to manufacture parts for radio controlled (RC) models.
Anyhow, all I can suggest is just don’t give up. This is going to be one of many problems you have to fight in the long path to your success.
The business world is messed up. Seems like you can’t get anywhere anymore unless you know someone or do something unethical. I have great ideas to better their business, even for the shit they pay me. I don’t feel like they’ll ever let me advance here. They will always view me as the newbie, even though I’m not even the newest employee here. They treat the newest guy like he’s been here for a few years. He even got his own office before I have. I still share mine with an Officer of the company. I don’t need a crutch or anyone’s help. I know what I’m doing and I do it well.
I want to open my own retail store. Not selling my own clothes I design/make like everyone thinks when I say my own retail store. I want to sell my style though and choose what I want to sell and ask what people would like to see in my store so they’ll come buy things. (I live in a small town and there is only a JC Penny’s here. The closest retail store that has the type of style I want to sell is an hour away.) I have a degree in business which should really help me to achieve this, but I was hoping to get at least five years of business experience under my belt before I attempted anything. I don’t plan on failing or giving up though. I’m just a very impatient and determined person.
Thank you for your advice and showing I’m not the only one who’s stuck in this bullshit business cycle.
They may be dismissive because you are a W O M A N. Yeah, people still do that.
A successful business requires knowledge and experience, but also smarts and tenacity. It’s ideal to have all four but I’ve met many people that do well with only two. You may be closer to your own business than you think. When you hit your one year mark see if there are any other similar businesses you can apply to.
Practice your empathy. Try to figure out why your coworkers reject change. The answers you discover will serve you well in the future.
Buy low, sell high.
I wondered about the first point too.
Never underestimate the reach of White Male Privilege. It’s pernicious.
I don’t think that it’s because I’m a woman. It’s a small-ish firm and 50% of the employees and officers of the company are female. Really it’s the female officers that are shutting me down.
Businesses talk about things like teamwork or continuous improvement, but it often comes down to one big battle of the egos. Some people may feel threatened by your ideas.
“I get cut off and talked to like I’m stupid.” This gives me the impression you’re presenting your ideas verbally. Have you considered typing up a more formal presentation?
I think they may feel threatened. Most of the officers here have been here 20+ years and back when they got their jobs it wasn’t required to have a degree. I’m a young woman with a degree who has a lot of options and ideas.
I’ve sent them e-mails. I get their read receipts that show that they have and when they have read them, but never a response. So I go into their office and speak up in meetings and I only get a few words out before I get cut off with a “Yeah, but… *insert a weak reason to not listen to me here*”
Any chance you can just go over their heads and straight to senior management or owners of the company?
Unfortunately, I can’t. The owner doesn’t really know things about what everyone else does because he’s always swamped with his own stuff and he’s a hard man to get in contact with anyway. If I did finally get to talk to him, he would point me in the direction of the person leading the project and that’s who I’ve been dealing with who is shutting my ideas down. There really is nowhere else I can turn.