Mansplaining In The Workplace

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Summary. Mansplaining is a combination of the words “man” and “explaining” and refers to someone giving an unrequested and unsolicited explanation. Men are more likely to do this, which is why it is called mansplaining. They do this because they assume that a woman has no knowledge or qualifications on a topic.

The term ‘mansplaining’ has become popular in recent years. Mansplaining happens a lot more than people realize, such as on social media, in classrooms, and especially in the workplace.

Mansplaining can have negative effects on the workplace and its environment. As an employer, it’s important to understand and stop it. In this article, we will go over what mansplaining is, why it’s a problem, the signs of it, and how to stop it.

Key Takeaways:

Mansplaining is characterized by the speaker having a condescending tone.
Men are not the only ones who can mansplain, women can also do it.
Mansplaining can make someone feel undervalued in the workplace, and it can have effects on someone’s career and its advancements.
Someone who tries to dominate a conversation and speak over someone else on a topic may be a sign of mansplaining.

What Is Mansplaining?

Mansplaining is a portmanteau combination of the words “man” and “explaining,” It refers to someone, typically a man, who gives an unrequested or unwanted explanation to a woman. The term mansplaining became popular in 2008 in Rebecca Solnit’s essay Men Explain Things to Me.

In her essay, Solnit describes an interaction that she has with a man where he goes on to explain the premise of a book that he assumed she had no knowledge of. The book was something Solnit wrote herself. He continuously tries to explain it despite others insisting that it was her book.

Oftentimes, for it to be characterized as mansplaining, the speaker needs to have a confident and condescending tone. The speaker will typically interject or interrupt a conversation to give knowledge that they believe the other person does not know about.

Why Mansplaining Is a Problem

Not everyone who explains something to another person can be considered mansplaining. It becomes a problem when the speaker is condescending in their tone when explaining it. Women are typically the ones who are on the receiving end of mansplaining, and it could have detrimental effects on them. Some ways that mansplaining is a problem include:

It makes women feel undervalued. Constantly interrupting someone, especially women, in the workplace and talking over them can make them feel as if they are not valued as much. Men are more likely to interrupt women and talk over them than they are a man.

When this continuously happens, women tend to feel as if they are undervalued or they do not belong in the workplace. This can result in high turnover rates and losing great employees.
It will reinforce gender stereotypes. Breaking stereotypes in the workplace is important. Throughout history, there has been a stereotype that men are superior in all aspects of the workplace to women.

Mansplaining can reaffirm and reinforce the negative stereotypes that women are not as competent or intelligent in the workplace.
It can affect career advancement. When women are constantly being overlooked and underestimated in the workplace, it can have an effect on their careers. This is especially true if men talk over and dismiss women in the workplace. They will eventually be seen as not capable of doing the work and will be passed over for opportunities.

Signs of Mansplaining at Work

Since mansplaining can cause issues at work, not all men will be mansplainers, and some women can also be the culprit, so it’s important to recognize the signs of it. Here are some signs of mansplaining at work:

Someone is dominating the conversation. When someone is trying to mansplain, they will often try to dominate the conversation and talk over others. They may even shush others when they try to talk. They may believe that what they are saying is the only correct answer, no matter the qualifications of the other person.

This person may also try to take charge and be the leader in projects, no matter if they are the most qualified to be the leader.
A condescending worker. This worker will often talk down to anyone when they have a conversation. They may act as if they are superior to others with their intelligence. They will try to make others feel as if their opinions are not correct. A condescending worker will always use a condescending tone with you and talk down on another person.
Someone who conforms to stereotypical gender roles. Oftentimes when someone mansplains something, they do it because they just assume that a woman would not know about a topic that would be primarily something men know about.

For example, a man might explain sports to women in a patronizing, oversimplified way simply because of the stereotype that women do not know about sports. Now on the other side, it can be a woman explaining how to do house chores in a patronizing way because it is a stereotype that men do not know how to do house chores.
The not-so-knowing, overconfident worker. A person who mansplains will try to be a know-it-all, but in reality, they do not know as much as they think. They will try to overcompensate for the fact that they do not know what they are talking about by being overconfident.

An example of this may be someone who comes up to you after you discuss a topic. They may say that it was done poorly and try to explain how it should have been done. You may even be an expert on the topic, but they will still try to correct you.

How to Stop Mansplaining

Stopping mansplaining in the workplace is important to help make everyone comfortable. The best way to deal with mansplaining in the workplace is to address the issue right away. Many times the person who is mansplaining doesn’t even realize that they are doing it, so it’s important to call them out while they are doing it.

If you do not want to call them out in front of others, take them to the side and explain what they are doing and why it can be harmful to the other person and the workplace. The only way for them to correct their actions is for them to know that they are doing something wrong.

When talking to them about the situation, you should ask them some of the following questions:

Did the woman ask for you to explain something?
Does she have more expertise in the topic than you?
Are you offering them unsolicited advice on a topic?
Would you explain the topic differently to a man than a woman?

Those questions can help them to understand that they are mansplaining. Once they realize what they are doing, try to help them explain something in a way that may not be mansplaining.

Mansplaining at Work FAQ

What is the difference between mansplaining and explaining?

The difference between mansplaining and explaining is that one way to get information across is wanted and asked for in an appropriate setting, and the other is not.

When someone is explaining something, they typically will wait for a question to be asked before giving an answer. They may even try to redirect to someone who is more qualified to answer.

When a person is mansplaining, a man will often answer before anyone asks a question. This will be unsolicited. They may just assume the other person has no qualifications on the subject and will try to ‘“talk over” anyone else who might chime in to help answer.
What is an example of mansplaining?

An example of mansplaining would be a person telling an expert how to do their job or do a task when they have no experience or knowledge of it. Even though the person may be an expert in the subject, a man will mansplain it in a condescending tone because they believe the other person does not understand.
Why is it called mansplaining?

It’s called mansplaining because it is a portmanteau combination of the words “man” and “explaining.” For it to be considered mansplaining, it will be a man explaining something to a woman in a condescending way that assumes she has no knowledge on a specific topic.
Why is mansplaining offensive?

Mansplaining can be offensive to a woman because it can often feel degrading and a way to silence and disrupt them. When a man is mansplaining something to a woman about her job or her field in front of others, it can be implied that she doesn’t know what she is doing.

Mansplaining labels women wrongfully as “incompetent until proven,” which can be harmful to their careers. When they have this label on them, women will be more likely to be talked over, interrupted, and dismissed more often.
Is mansplaining new?

The term mansplaining is new, but it is something that has been prevalent throughout history. The term “mansplaining” can be traced back to 2008 by Rebecca Solnit, who wrote an essay called ‘Men Explain Things to Me.’ While the term was not used in the essay, the term became popular because of it.

Throughout history, the patriarchy can be one of the main reasons why it has been popular. Men often felt entitled to power and knowledge and made it so that women were not able to have positions of authority.

Final Thoughts

Mansplaining can create an unhealthy and toxic work environment and result in higher turnover rates. It should not be welcomed in any work environment. Knowing what to look for can help you eliminate mansplaining in the workplace.

References

Author

Taylor Berman

Taylor is a freelance writer from Pennsylvania. Taylor got into writing because she enjoys writing articles that help people and loves creating stories that inspire. She earned a bachelor's degree in journalism and public relations with an interest in communications media from Indiana University of Pennsylvania.