These days, I don’t often think about mean girls, or their grown-up counterparts mean women. I am bewildered every time I come across one.
Each time I do, I am shocked. I believed they were close to extinction, so I was taken aback when The New York Times recognized their existence this past weekend.
While I’ve been fortunate to have avoided many of them in the past, there are a handful that come to mind who attempted to either steal a boyfriend, sideline me in an organization, or take advantage of the fact that I am generally (unless really, really pushed) a nice person.
In the above cases…they failed.
I still run into them occasionally, but I have learned to quickly identify them in the wild and to avoid them. I take my own path, working only with nice people I greatly respect.
How do I deal today with mean girls?
Generally, I walk away. I don’t affiliate with them or do business with them. If they are not grown-ups, why would I want them as clients, vendors, or colleagues? (Check the box. These girls and guys come in all types of brands.)
I also have enough wherewithal to know that if I am in a bad situation, I can generally find my way out. A treasured group of trustworthy and smart friends is always there to help when I need them. They know that I am also there for them too.
Do good things for other women. Not only will it make you feel good, but it’s also the right thing to do. I love coaching women as part of my personal and professional life, and I love having female clients interested in improving their organizations.
I also think, in its simplest of phrases, putting good things out into the world works like kryptonite for the mean girls out there. Buh bye.
