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SALT LAKE CITY -- We're told from childhood women can do anything man can do in the business world. Still, women underestimate their job performance ratings by 11 percent, according to the recent study released from the University of New Mexico.
Lavanya Mahate, program director of the Salt Lake Chamber of Commerce Women's Business Center, says this is common among women who are trying to start a business.
"We see that all the time. As women business owners, they talk about their business as ‘this little thing', ‘this hobby business,' [or] ‘this personal passion.' And they don't credit themselves for having a great business idea," Mahate said.
The question on the minds of many people is why?
Mahate says, "Women become their own worst critics, and we're setting our own glass ceiling, so to speak."
She says past or current experiences of sexism may play into this, as well as a difficult balance of work and home life.
"As women, we have all these multiple hats that we wear, so it becomes that much more [stressful]," Mahate explained.
Plus, she says women are most often overachievers at work.
But Mahate believes this underestimation may be changing. Younger women do this less often than older women do. The Women's Business Center has programs designed to help empower women in business.
"We have a monthly networking group called The Business Women's Forum, which was established to celebrate the accomplishments of women," Mahate said.
Women who may not be able to attend that meeting can also join the Women Leaders Utah, which is an online registry to raise the recognition of women.
E-mail: pnelson@ksl.com
