Many organizations and companies have made great strides in their appreciation of the contribution and worth of women. But while women comprise 52 percent of the population, women still do not have the recognition, visibility and clout that men enjoy. Yet when given opportunities to excel, many women have successfully moved their organizations forward to greater success.
For businesses, associations and organizations to tap in the “successability” of women, we need to understand how to include, motivate and appreciate them.
Carol Gilligan did ground-breaking research on women’s roles and capabilities in In A Different Voice, but it took Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus by John Gray to awaken public consciousness to the issues inherent in gender differences. The popularity of Gray’s book also brought issues involved in sexual diversity to mainstream awareness.
The words “male” or “female,” arouse preconceived ideas of behavior and traits. We assume men and women look at the world from opposite directions.
I suggest looking at it in a new way. Think of masculinity and femininity on each end of a continuum. Each end represents extreme expressions of male and female attributes and virtues. As we move toward the middle, these attributes are not as strong and actually appear less opposing.
Using the continuum as a model, we see how a woman uses feminine strengths in one situation and masculine behaviors in others. Conversely, a man may choose to use a feminine approach to a particular problem. The lesson: we don’t have to go to extremes of behavior, but rather decide when to use one, the other, or a combination of both to arrive at the best solutions for specific situations.
Consider the polarized thinking in our ideas of leadership. The traditional male “command and control” style came from the military and for many years it was the one and only model for great leadership. We are now discovering other forms of leadership, such as the “feminine” style of inclusion, team participation, and facilitative leadership.
Putting these traditional attributes on a continuum lets us see how it is possible to be less masculine or less feminine, and how to “flex” by using attributes of both at different times in different situations. It means one man’s leadership style can flex to be more inclusive, just as a woman can choose to lead by command and control. The ability to flex will give women and men enhanced appreciation for women’s impact on our organizations and our country.
In closing, here a few more suggestions for finding ways to understand how women can add success to our organizations:
- Hear their voices — Women speak in softer tones and present their ideas in different ways. It’s important to be alert to hearing what women say and to listen to what they’re saying.
- Appreciate their way of accomplishing tasks — Many women use a different path to accomplish various tasks. Deferring judgment until the task is accomplished will benefit all.
- Give recognition and show appreciation — As in everything we do and have been taught, showing recognition and appreciation goes a long way to furthering good relationships.
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