Gender-based stereotypes are still prevalent in the workplace. Male managers often pal around with male subordinates, discussing fantasy football and weekend golf outings, but keep discussions with women strictly work-related. At the same time, female managers tend to open up more with other women in the organization, believing men "just don't understand."
But as a manager, have you tried to incorporate the opposite sex into the world you think is only for your gender? If not, you could be missing out.
Get Past Stereotypes by Understanding Them
John Coffey, president of Winning Careers, worked as a manufacturing manager for 25 years and recalls a situation that epitomizes unfair stereotypes between genders.
Managers at a local factory were searching for qualified candidates to fill positions historically held by males. When women were interviewed and subsequently hired for these positions, the men who were doing the jobs resisted the change, making comments about how there was no way a woman could possibly do the job, the work was too physically demanding and women just didn't have the mechanical abilities.
"After several months, some of the most critical male managers admitted they had been wrong," says Coffey. "It had nothing to do with gender. It was all about attitude and the desire to do a great job.
Coffey says predominant stereotypes in the workplace seem to be that all men are controlling and need to be in charge, while women are submissive and cannot make decisions. These beliefs can result in power struggles, he explains.
Men often exhibit frustration with having to work with a woman, because they feel threatened. Women, on the other hand, may resent men trying to take control and directing them. This has always been an issue, but it has improved as more women have held successful leadership roles in the workplace, Coffey says.
Joan Olson, president of Pathways Career Success Strategies, provides consulting and training to organizations wanting to create a gender-equitable workplace. She often works with clients whose managers still subscribe to old-school thoughts, such as:
Men are aggressive; women are submissive.
Men are leaders; women are not.
Men are good at science and math; women are not.
Women don't want to get their hands dirty.
Women aren't strong enough.
Managers must "work on viewing everyone, male and female, as unique rather than assigning a specific set of attributes to either gender," advises Olson.
How to Smooth Out Differences
Here are Olson's recommendations on how to accommodate for gender differences:
At meetings, encourage everyone's input. Don't let one gender dominate.
Learn the differences in communication styles between genders. This will allow you to better understand and interact with the opposite sex.
Promote workers on the basis of job performance, not gender.
In smaller companies, assign both men and women lunchroom-cleanup and event-planning duties.
"Low morale can develop if employees view their workplace as unfair," says Olson. "High turnover and even sabotage can result."
Coffey says good managers help bring out the skills of both men and women and turn them into one cohesive unit. To ensure a manager best uses all employees, he recommends these tips:
Express sincere interest in projects and how they are progressing.
Listen to suggestions and recommendations, and respond to or act on them.
Always project the image of being on equal footing with male and female counterparts.
Respect the opinions of coworkers, regardless of sex, ethnic background, title or position in the firm. Put on blinders to view each worker as a person who has a job to do. Think about each individual and what they offer.
"The most important thing to remember is respect," says Coffey. "If each person, regardless of gender, can put respect for each other ahead of everything else, equality is a natural result."