What happened at the New York Times and what it means for all professionals.

Sometimes the news tells you what you already know, especially when it’s what you experience every single day.

On Wednesday,  New York Times Executive Editor Jill Abramson was abrutly ousted by publisher Arthur Sulzberger, Jr., leaving  the logic behind her removal up for speculation. Of course, as many Ms. Career Girl readers know well, workplace sexism and harrasment is all too common, and the truth is that if it happens in your office, there’s no reason it couldn’t happen in the office of the most trusted news organization in the country.

So What Do We Take From This?

Unfortunately, it seems that the answer is: very little.  As with all employment disputes, there’s no such thing as just one “cause” and we may never know the truth. But in your office, you may still realize that glass ceiling is constantly raised two inches higher, one inch  back.

Not all office politics are gender-related, but even today, many of them still are. As a man, Ill admit that most of the time it’s not even intentional, it’s institutionalized. This is why the Jill Abramson story is so important to career women – and to all professionals. It’s causing us to ask questions and forcing the conversation to be had, which is the only way progress will ever be made.

For more background information watch this video.

Got a story of office sexism? Recount it in the comments or write us on Twitter.