The Perfect Come-back to Matt Lauer’s Dumb, Sexist, Interview Question
By Jo Miller
On Thursday, Today Show host Matt Lauer asked GM CEO Mary Barra this question about her suitability to be both a mom and a CEO:
“Given the pressures of this job at General Motors, can you do both well?”
There is, of course, no record of Lauer having asked a similarly-ranked dude the same question.
Barra replied with perfect poise, “You know, I think I can” and went on to describe the support she receives from her team and family. But just imagine the backlash she would have been subjected to had she declined to answer, or even worse, called him out.
As the topic trended on Twitter, hands down the best tweet came from @Jezebel who asked “Can Matt Lauer be both a sexist _____ and a good dad?”
When you’re asked a dumb, sexist question, is there ever any good way to respond?
Years ago, a coaching client who was going for a senior-level position was asked the same question in a large group town-hall style job interview. Someone in the audience yelled “You can’t ask that. It’s illegal!”
She smiled innocently, answering the question with a question. “How did (the other candidates) Mr. X and Mr. Y answer that?”
People cheered. She got the job, and became one of the highest-ranked women in her profession.
What’s your favorite come-back to a dumb, sexist question?
Jo Miller
Jo Miller is a globally renowned authority on women’s leadership. She’s dedicated two decades to helping women advance into positions of influence by leveraging their leadership strengths. Based on her work with hundreds of thousands of women, she developed a pragmatic and powerful roadmap that guides women to become the leaders they aspire to be. Jo shares this proven process in her book Woman of Influence: 9 Steps to Build Your Brand, Establish Your Legacy, and Thrive (McGraw Hill, 2019.)
Jo is CEO of leadership development, consulting and research firm Be Leaderly. Learn more about her speaking engagements at www.JoMiller.com and follow @Jo_Miller on Twitter.
By Jo Miller
On Thursday, Today Show host Matt Lauer asked GM CEO Mary Barra this question about her suitability to be both a mom and a CEO:
“Given the pressures of this job at General Motors, can you do both well?”
There is, of course, no record of Lauer having asked a similarly-ranked dude the same question.
Barra replied with perfect poise, “You know, I think I can” and went on to describe the support she receives from her team and family. But just imagine the backlash she would have been subjected to had she declined to answer, or even worse, called him out.
As the topic trended on Twitter, hands down the best tweet came from @Jezebel who asked “Can Matt Lauer be both a sexist _____ and a good dad?”
When you’re asked a dumb, sexist question, is there ever any good way to respond?
Years ago, a coaching client who was going for a senior-level position was asked the same question in a large group town-hall style job interview. Someone in the audience yelled “You can’t ask that. It’s illegal!”
She smiled innocently, answering the question with a question. “How did (the other candidates) Mr. X and Mr. Y answer that?”
People cheered. She got the job, and became one of the highest-ranked women in her profession.
What’s your favorite come-back to a dumb, sexist question?
Jo Miller
Jo Miller is a globally renowned authority on women’s leadership. She’s dedicated two decades to helping women advance into positions of influence by leveraging their leadership strengths. Based on her work with hundreds of thousands of women, she developed a pragmatic and powerful roadmap that guides women to become the leaders they aspire to be. Jo shares this proven process in her book Woman of Influence: 9 Steps to Build Your Brand, Establish Your Legacy, and Thrive (McGraw Hill, 2019.)
Jo is CEO of leadership development, consulting and research firm Be Leaderly. Learn more about her speaking engagements at www.JoMiller.com and follow @Jo_Miller on Twitter.
