| Bang! Bang! My shiny metal cap gun
| |
| | and process and relationship and
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| sounded as I fired at the imaginary tribe
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| | connection," writes Matthew Gilbert in
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| of Indians invading my suburban Atlanta
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| | his book Communications Miracles at Work.
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| backyard. Two houses down the street, my
| |
| | A more feminine way of communicating is
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| childhood friend Shelly cuddled her brand
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| | being embraced in today's workplace.
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| new "Chatty Cathy" baby doll.
| |
| | According to Gilbert, a feminine
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| Growing up in the 50s, our roles were
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| | communication and interaction style
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| clear: women gather and nest, and men
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| | includes being:
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| hunt and fight. I was sure that one day I
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| | More process-oriented; more patient; and
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| would go into business, and Shelly would
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| | more likely to see "shades of gray."
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| be a stay-at-home mom. Twenty years
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| | More collaborative; less turf conscious;
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| later, Shelly and I were both in
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| | seeking the "win-win."
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| business; I was working in a public
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| | Good listeners, facilitators, and
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| relations agency, and Shelly had landed a
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| | coaches.
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| terrific job in a large accounting firm.
| |
| | Open, sensitive, emotional, and
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| It was the 80s, and to succeed in
| |
| | empathetic.
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| business, Shelly had to dress and act
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| | Willing to admit mistakes and express
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| like a man. Shelly did well in business,
| |
| | concern and/or sympathy.
|
| but at a cost. She had to mask much of
| |
| | Business is increasingly rewarding
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| her femininity.
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| | employees for people skills as much as
|
| When Shelly's daughter enters the
| |
| | business skills. The reasons are simple:
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| business world three years from now, she
| |
| | not only is the rising number of women in
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| will find a much different working
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| | business influencing company
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| environment than her mother. Business is
| |
| | communication, so is the marketplace. As
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| increasingly embracing those attributes
| |
| | the competition for the most skilled
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| historically attributed to women.
| |
| | employees intensifies, smart companies
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| Hierarchy is being slowly replaced by
| |
| | are realizing the importance of
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| teamwork, goals are balanced with
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| | interpersonal skills in attracting and
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| process, and relationships are being
| |
| | retaining employees. In the future, only
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| valued as much as transitions. Feminine
| |
| | those companies that reward such
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| energy is slowly forcing masculine
| |
| | communication skills as empathy,
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| extremes toward the middle.
| |
| | authenticity, vulnerability, and mutual
|
| The image of business today is being
| |
| | empowerment will survive and thrive.
|
| altered, says futurist Faith Popcorn in
| |
| | Embracing the Feminine in the Workplace
|
| her 1996 bestselling book Clicking.
| |
| | -- Add Two
|
| "(Business will be) no longer seen as a
| |
| | The rising trend of "FemaleThink" doesn't
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| war to be won by trouncing the
| |
| | mean men need to be more like women. If
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| competition, but viewed as a complicated
| |
| | that were to happen, we would be no
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| mosaic to be developed, one relationship
| |
| | better off than we were in the 80s when
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| at a time."
| |
| | many women felt they had to act like men
|
| In her book, Popcorn identifies a rising
| |
| | in order to compete in business. Instead,
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| trend for solving business and relational
| |
| | business is challenging both men and
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| problems with "feminine attributes" such
| |
| | women to seek a stronger balance between
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| as consensus building, sensitivity, and
| |
| | inner masculine and feminine energies.
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| intuition.
| |
| | Businesswomen may benefit from training
|
| Embracing the Feminine in the Workplace
| |
| | in strategic planning and selling skills,
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| -- Add One
| |
| | while men in business may benefit from
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| She calls this new trend "FemaleThink"
| |
| | training in such skills as listening,
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| but is quick to point out it is not
| |
| | sensitivity to interpersonal differences,
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| gender specific. FemaleThink may come
| |
| | and giving and receiving constructive
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| more naturally to women, but men can
| |
| | feedback.
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| master it as well.
| |
| | Corporate cultures must blend the
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| Already, studies are showing that women
| |
| | feminine with the masculine. Decisions
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| managers are outperforming men in the
| |
| | must be made, but process must be
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| workplace (Business Week, November 20,
| |
| | respected. Connection must be as valued
|
| 2000). "In fact, it's becoming evident
| |
| | as much as competition. Leadership skills
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| that the most valuable skills one can
| |
| | must be complemented by consensus
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| have in twenty-first century business are
| |
| | building, and men and women must learn to
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| those that women have historically
| |
| | respect each others' styles and learn
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| possessed, those having to do with people
| |
| | from one another.
|
