Alicia Menendez on Avoiding the "Likability Trap" at Work

9 to 5ish with theSkimm

Alicia Menendez, MSNBC anchor, award-winning journalist, and host of the Latina to Latina podcast, was so concerned about being likable at work that she wrote a whole book about it. She even created a name for that pressure women feel to be amenable in the office – "the likability trap." And as an on-camera journalist, she’s fallen into that trap throughout her career. In this episode, we spoke with Alicia about her journey with likability, how that affected her professional and personal wellbeing, and her recommendations for carving out your own professional identity.

In this episode, shares:

• Why she didn’t go into politics like her father
• How she’s dealt with the pressure of other people’s expectations
• What she’s done to carve out her own leadership style and professional identity
• How she talks to her daughters about likability
• Her advice for avoiding getting caught up in the trap, and getting your coworkers and managers to do the same