Transitions
Working with Women Executives
FountainBlue's April 26 Transitions event was on the topic of Men and Women Working in Partnership.
Women are slowly making advances into the executive ranks, even in traditionally male industries such as high tech. Men and women executives working with women as peers, as staff members, as partners, as bosses need to better understand the management styles of women in management, so that they can better lead, follow, support, and guide them.
the topic.
In general, men and women have different communication styles.
Understanding and acknowledging the difference in communication styles can be beneficial.
- It can help you better understand how people of the other gender or other communication style are perceiving you/receiving your communications. This knowledge can help you better communicate, manage and lead.
- Leveraging the best of typically male communication styles and typically female communication styles can be beneficial to all
- It can lead to greater promotability for both men and women
- It can contribute to more effective communication and management and leadership
- Embracing the differences between gender communication styles can help foster/support the acceptance of more creative, innovative ideas
- It can help people take the gender-difference in communication styles less personally , as if they are being put down—or conversely, not judge others negatively or as incompetent.
Tips for women in communication with men who have more independent styles of communication:
- Put your communications in a linear way which more independent, male communicators may better appreciate/understand.
- When you're considering the web of factors to be considered before action is to be taken, strategically call or only one or two of them that would be most relevant to the men. They are less likely to see your contribution as an obstacle to action, and more likely to see it as another factor to consider prior to taking action.
- Don't be deterred/discouraged by devil's advocacy kind of communication. It doesn't necessarily mean that they are shutting down your idea. It may be their way of supporting you to make the idea bullet proof. Ask for collaboration or "angel's advocate" if you want to build on the idea.
Tips for men in communication with women who have more relationship-based styles of communication:
- Since these women are more relationship based, they really value a sincere, direct communication particularly when they are the victims of a difficult management decision (For example, in the case of a layoff, express apology.)
- Find ways at times to be more an 'angel's advocate' rather than 'devil's advocate' to affirm what is valuable and build on the idea and then let them know you want to play 'devil's advocate' to bullet-proof the idea.
- Allow them to communicate problems to consider prior to taking action. This allows them to act on preventing other fires as well as fighting fires.
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