Ask Lynn
You ask, I answer. Whether this is about career, lifestyle or situations you need help navigating - I am here to help you. Ask Lynn is a safe space. A place for you. A place to recenter. Just ask.
Your questions this month.
1. How do I support the only woman on my team without making it awkward or performative? - Callum, Engineering
2. My manager is back from maternity leave and struggling slightly - should I say something or keep covering for her? - Alex, PR
3. How do I work well with a very traditional male manager while setting boundaries early? - Lottie, Investment Banking
4.My wife is the breadwinner and may become my boss - how do we protect our relationship and my sense of identity? - Josh, Ex-Trading
Key takeaways from Ask Lynn.
Support her by changing the environment, not spotlighting her. Advocate for her ideas, interrupt bias in real time, and do one private, low-key check-in. Real support shows up in systems and behaviour, not special treatment.
Stop compensating silently. Have a private, respectful conversation focused on workload, not performance, and agree on a short-term plan with her. Support should be time-bound, not something that quietly burns you out.
Set expectations early, opt out of what doesn’t work without apology, and let strong results do the talking. You don’t need to change him - you need consistency and clarity from day one.
Separate roles clearly, define authority and exits on paper, and agree boundaries between work and home. Supporting her doesn’t mean losing yourself, it means designing the partnership deliberately.