You’ve Come a Long Way, Baby….BUT Not as Far as We Expected!
When asked "haven't women made lots of progress?" I am reminded of the cigarette slogan declaring how far women had come. As Gail Collins chronicles in her book "When Everything Changed," since 1960...
View ArticleMasculine-Feminine Difference: Max and Fran and Work Style
This is a basic and observable difference in the masculine and feminine approaches to work. The masculine "work style" involves competing. The feminine "work style" involves collaborating. This...
View ArticleDo Women Understand and Appreciate Feminine Approaches to Work?
Heterogeneous teams, including those that reflect both masculine and feminine ways of thinking, make the best decisions. The masculine approach is prevalent in most workplaces. Women learn to model...
View ArticleAmbition: Do Women Have It? Power: Do Women Want It?
Is one reason that women aren't proportionally represented at the leadership level in business because they lack the ambition or interest in power to be there? This question was debated a decade ago....
View ArticleHow We Influence: Strengths and Limitations of Masculine and Feminine Approaches
The prototypical man influences others to do what he wants by "telling" or "commanding." The prototypical female does so by "persuading." The advantages of the masculine approach are that it is clear...
View ArticleThe Fear Factor: An Obstacle for Women Reaching the Top
I knew that our "unconscious images" created an obstacle for women. People who do not "look the part" are less likely to come to mind when assignments or promotions are being made. I learned from my...
View ArticleMasculine Does Not Mean Male; Feminine Does Not Mean Female
Discussions of gender diversity often involve stereotyping. I avoid that. Both men and women have and use both masculine and feminine approaches. I use prototypes to create a common understanding of...
View ArticleThe Strengths of “Women’s Leadership”: Is There Any Such Thing?
More and more studies link gender diversity and higher returns. Some suggest this is because of unique ways women lead. I disagree. All women do not lead alike. Both men and women lead in masculine...
View Article“Leaning In” to Be Quarterbacks!
I respond to a football analogy about Sheryl Sandberg's book, Lean In. My brother suggested most women don't want to be at the top in the business world. Like a "tight end" on a football field, they...
View ArticleBeing Bilingual: Speaking and Appreciating Masculine and Feminine “Language”
There are two "languages" in the workplace -- masculine and feminine. We use the term "Frax-wise" to describe people who understand, appreciate and leverage both masculine and feminine ways. (We are...
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