How the "Pet to Threat" Phenomenon Affects Women of Color in the Workplace

Have you ever heard of the "pet-to-threat" phenomenon? I can't recall experiencing it in my career, but I have heard stories from others that have experienced it. Recently, I came across a Forbes article, "The Infuriating Journey From Pet To Threat: How Bias Undermines Black Women At Work. The article discusses how Black women, at the start of their careers, receive support from mentors who have enthusiasm for training and developing them. But as these talented ladies become more confident and successful in their positions, some attitude shifts occur, ultimately undermining workplace progress.

University of Georgia professor Dr. Thomas termed this syndrome as going from "Pet to Threat. "Black women, seen initially as likable, moldable novices, become more suspect as they grow in their jobs and exert the influence and authority they have earned. Their increased agency is perceived to threaten the status quo in a culture typically dominated by white males." Below are a few examples from the article: 

"The firm's senior partners exclaimed they were impressed with me and the job I was doing after a private equity investment committee. In front of my managing director, they joked they should make me [the] managing director and replace him. He turned red and began to undermine and compete with me after that until work became unbearable."

"[My supervisor] was supportive of me and my efforts. But as time went by and I started being noticed by leadership— including her supervisors, who gave me special projects outside of the team—she started to hold me back, uninvite me to meetings and scold me when I spoke to leadership without her knowledge." 

"My boss, a white man, was one of my biggest supporters. He was doing everything right—positive and constructive feedback, championing my many wins, investing in a prestigious executive development program, and discussed my advancement plan. Out of nowhere, he made a complete 180 and began overly scrutinizing my work, questioning my work ethic, feigning amnesia about the advancement plan, started sabotaging my work (thus hurting the business), and gave me one of the worst performance reviews of my career complete with blatant and provable untruths. During the pandemic and racial "awakening," I called him out, and he admitted that he got "resentful" and used his status as a white man to hurt me because he knew that he could."

Understanding Implicit Biases

You must first understand implicit and systemic biases to understand why this phenomenon occurs. Implicit biases are unconscious prejudices or stereotypes about certain groups of people that can affect how we perceive and interact with them. Systemic bias occurs when policies or procedures result in unfair treatment due to prejudice or discrimination against certain groups of people. These biases can manifest in many ways, from hiring processes to performance reviews. They can also keep women of color from accessing resources within their organizations that could help them advance their careers.

The Impact of "Pet to Threat" on Women of Color

The impact of the "Pet to Threat" phenomenon often leads to isolation and frustration at work as these women navigate hostile environments without support or guidance from those around them. This phenomenon also affects self-esteem; if a woman is constantly told she isn't qualified for positions she has worked hard for, it can lead her to doubt her abilities and skillsets even if she does meet all qualifications for said position.

This phenomenon is another reason DEI workplace efforts are so important. Employers must recognize this issue so that they can take steps towards creating more inclusive workplaces where everyone feels supported and empowered regardless of race or gender identity. As more companies begin recognizing implicit biases and making changes accordingly, we will see real progress toward eliminating these disparities between men and women of color in the workplace. With enough effort, we may one day live in a society where everyone has an equal opportunity at success regardless of background or ethnicity.

Talk to me! Have you ever experienced or know anyone that has experienced the "Pet to Threat" phenomenon? How did you/they handle it? What was the outcome of the situation?