Not long ago, the corporate workplace was primarily an exclusive playground for men. While some women worked outside of the home, it wasn’t commonplace to have a significant female presence in an office environment, especially not in positions of power.

Now, things couldn’t be more different. While the #timesup movement is in full effect, and we have lots of catching up to do to achieve equality in the workplace, women are taking more of the top-end office jobs than ever before. Some progress is better than none, although I expect the pace to pick up in light of all that has occurred in recent months.

Despite the noise and the call for much-needed change, many workplaces are still predominantly male-oriented. What’s more, because of this imbalance, you will undoubtedly find yourself in a position where you will have to ask these men for help or advice in order to progress in your career. Yes, it may go against the idea of women doing it for themselves, but consider these three reasons why men in your workplace may prove to be a valuable resource.

Many have been in their jobs longer

The “man’s world” may be a thing of the past, but you may likely discover that many of the men in the workplace have the longest tenure. With tenure often comes experience and a viable network of other professionals worth connecting with. Certainly, seek out female supporters and collaborators, but don’t overlook the men. Somone like Jozef Opdeweegh, for example, who has worked in his field for seventeen years could prove to be helpful to a new employee, male or female.

They understand how other men operate

It’s critical that you develop mutually beneficial partnerships if you want to find success. You’ll find this impossible if you don’t understand how those in your workplace think and operate. Yes, gender often factors in. Men in the workplace have likely been dealing with other men in their field for years. As such, they’ll know the body language, weaknesses, and general attitudes of many of those you’ll come up against. While remaining professional, be willing to access the old boys club via the advice and assistance of a male coworker

They know the prejudice you’ll be up against

Face it, prejudice and discrimination exist in the workplace. Many women in the business world have to deal with it on a daily basis. Sadly, though, we may not know its extent as well as we think. A lot of the prejudice and exclusion against women happens when they’re out of the room. As such, men may know more about its depths as they’ve been privy to the conversations. As such, it may be worth talking about this with the men you trust in your workplace so that you can always be as prepared as possible and possibly make recommendations for changes to be made.

A primary goal of a high-achieving woman in the workplace is to be successful. Surrounding yourself with mentors and other supporters who want to see you win is a priority, whether they are male or female.

Yes, girls run the world, but never forget, there are many good guys out there willing to lend you and your career a helping hand too!

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