Cracking the Gender Code
Women have made progress in the workplace;
the next step is changing the conversation.
By Clare Morris
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
In the last 15 years, women have made record
advances in the business world --as entrepreneurs and as corporate leaders.
But when it comes to communicating with the opposite sex, not much has changed.
It's hard to believe that veterans and daughters
of the women's movement of the '60's and '70's can still be caught off guard
by the stereotypes of male and female roles. But it's still an issue many women
-- and men -- deal with at work every day.
"Women comprise more than 50 percent of
the workplace, in management and professional positions, yet we're still dealing
with a culture that goes by the old rules," author Connie Glaser said.
The Atlanta resident has written extensively
on gender differences, including her newest book, "GenderTalk Works: Seven
Steps for Cracking the Gender Code at Work" (Windsor Hall Press, $24.95).
"It's time to have a new conversation on gender talk," Glaser said. "Given
the accessibility and profusion of information these days - through blogs,
Web sites and even around the water cooler - the issues are being discussed
anyway. But organizations can step up and address them head-on to find some
constructive solutions."
Fighting Stereotypes
Glaser frequently conducts workshops and seminars for companies to help employees
break down gender stereotypes. Those sessions also have provided plenty of
material for her writing.
"For instance, I went to ESPN headquarters in Connecticut to make presentations
on gender issues," Glaser recalled. "During a tour of the campus,
I noticed a couple of high-level women standing in the hall as a man approached.
The women wanted to engage him - ask him questions, invite him to join - because
they like inclusiveness.
"Translate this into a meeting: A woman is waiting to be invited in,
to be asked her opinion. That's the appropriate thing to do in the female culture.
But the male culture is more like a pickup basketball game: You want in, you
jump in."
Glaser saw similar differences during a visit to a large Massachusetts hospital,
where a newly promoted female physician was treated to a celebration at a cigar
bar by her male colleagues.
"They thought they were including her, but she saw the cigar bar as an
alien environment," Glaser said.
One of the most frequently asked questions Glaser hears is, "Do women
have to emulate men to be successful?"
"Definitely not," she said. "Women bring to the table a different
set of strengths. The focus of my book 'Swim With the Dolphins' was about succeeding
in corporate America, not by being sharks, but by building your own strengths."
Company Programs
Many companies have started workplace programs to help women define and focus
on their strengths. Glaser cites Deloitte & Touche's Personal Pursuits
program, which allows women to take leave from the company for up to five years
but still stay involved by attending workshops, keeping skills current and
updating professional credentials.
Turner Broadcasting's Turner Women Today offers networking and training opportunities.
Atlanta also is home to Pathbuilders Inc., which pairs executives from established
companies with up-and-coming women from other companies.
"So someone from Delta may be paired with someone from Turner for a year," Glaser
explained. "That provides a role model and often opens doors."
The Board of Directors Network is another local organization that helps women
build the credentials needed to serve on corporate boards.
"In the past, a lot of organizations have formed women's initiatives
to give them the tools, network and mentors to help them succeed," Glaser
said. "What I see right now is a lot of emphasis on diversity but with
tremendous gender differences.
"There is a certain level of enlightenment on how men and women are hard-wired
differently, how they communicate and solve problems differently. It's not
a right-or-wrong situation. The key now is to leverage those differences so
men and women work together in a more collaborative way, before there are hurt
feelings, conflicts and even major lawsuits."
Read about the Top Gender Barriers Women Face
in the Workplace.