In today’s workplace, women have a unique role that has evolved over the past twenty years. In the past, the “feminine” ability to nurture and be empathetic was frowned upon or seen as weak. Today, companies recognize the importance of softer skills in team management, leadership, mentoring, and building trust among clients. Today, both men and women enter the workplace with a different set of rules.
Carol Gillian wrote In a Different Voice in 1982 as women struggled to find their place in American business. The natural abilities that Gillian described in her landmark book, the ability to be empathetic, the ability to listen, the tendency to put people before the results were deemed negative. In fact, wrote Gillian, “psychologists tended to view male behavior as the ‘norm’ and female behavior as a kind of deviation from that norm.” What Gillian discovered was that men and women played differently when they were boys and girls. These games led to normative behaviors that transcended the workplace. What he found in particular was that men were more concerned with rules and women with relationships.
Today’s workplace values teams and teamwork. Teams are built on trust, strong communication, listening, and building rapport. What we’ve learned over the past 20 years is that bringing women and their unique skills to the workplace, combined with the male drive toward competition and results, created a more durable and profitable work environment. Once women stopped trying to be “men” and instead maximized their strengths, everyone benefited.
Let’s look at some of the things that have changed in the workplace as a result of a female / male environment:
o Teams. There are more teams and teams are the norm. If you can’t work as a team, you can’t work to incorporate America.
o Mentoring and coaching programs. Women recognized the need to help other women be successful at work. At first, they developed informal tutoring programs for themselves. Now, most companies have mentoring or coaching programs for all new hires.
o Self-assessments. Many companies are increasingly doing self-assessments to help people learn more about their strengths and weaknesses.
o Win / win leadership. In the past, the goal was win / lose. In fact, the type of manager who got results regardless of the people he left behind was admired. Today, we seek consensus and opportunities to build relationships through win / win. Most marketing materials point to profits. How can I help you before a product is sold?
o Social awareness. Many organizations and companies look beyond their products to the impact of that product on the world. Organizations identify these companies. Being environmentally, internationally and socially aware has become a symbol for the most successful companies.
or And where would Bill Gates be without Melinda? Before he married her, he was probably not a philanthropist. Now he and his foundation show that giving back to the world is just as important as taking it away. Women-owned businesses are leading the way in philanthropy.
Women have set the pace for a workplace that no longer devours people, but embraces them as people with one heart, one soul, and two productive hands. The rules have definitely changed.