A presentation brought to you by Motaz Hajaj

GENDERIN THE

WORKPLACE

Run on different operating systemsMEN & WOMEN

WOMEN IN WORKPLACE

Feel as if they’re

fighting fires that they

know how to prevent

See women as

incompetent

MEN IN WORKPLACE

Two Different Ways of Thinking:

INDIVIDUALISTIC RELATIONAL

INDIVIDUALISTIC(MEN’S

PERSPECTIVE)

Emphasizing status and independenceGiving information only as needed

Doing one thing at a timeStep thinking- compartmentalizing and

prioritizingLogic based decision making

RELATIONAL(WOMEN’S PERSPECTIVE)

Doing many things at onceWeb thinking-seeing all ramifications of a

concernValues based decision making

Connecting the dots- inductive reasoningCollaboration- engaging together in thinking

and communicating to build new ideasEmpowering of others

Desire validation and ideas to enhance contributions

INDIVIDUALISTIC

Feelimprisoned when they

have to share information

Feel imprisoned

when they are left out of the information

loop

RELATIONAL

Not all women = relationalNot all men = individualistic

EXCEPTIONSTO THE

RULE

AcknowledgeDifferences Stop making yourself or others wrong

Understand Differences Know yourself

Get into another’s shoesRecognize strengths and weaknesses

AdoptDifferences of Others

Do unto others as they would do themselves- speak your ideas in their language

AdaptOthers to your Differences

Let others know what works for you

MAKINGCOMMUNICATION DIFFERENCES

WORK

NEUROLOGICAL&STRUCTURALDIFFERENCES

MALEBRAIN • Greater activity in the cerebellum

(the doing center)• More reliance on spatial-mechanicals

and visuals• Less inductive processing (less

diverse data absorbed especially if it is sensory or emotive)

• More deductive processing- from general to specific

• One side of the brain, highly focused

MALEBRAIN

• More physical, spatial play • Connecting physically through

throwing objects, patting each other on the back, etc.

• Eyes glazing over or reaching for an object to squeeze, tap or toss when relationships are discussed or lots of words of appreciation or comfort are being expressed

• Occupying more space physically and for their “things”

• Link buying to spatial enjoyment (ie: video games, and performance competition and aggression identification—sports, etc.)

Due to testosterone

surges in utero and puberty

MALEBRAIN

• Spend less time internally processing and thus can often be less contextual than women

• More likely to zoom in on the facts

• May take hours to process major emotional experiences

• Shorter memory for conflicts and emotional stresses

Due to less blood flow

inside limbic system

(processes life

experiences)

MALEBRAIN

• More prone to “zone or blank out” or stare blankly (often interpreted as not caring) during conversations with too many words or details, or when tired or stressed

• Movement such as tapping to keep brain focused and out of rest state

• Become bored easily with conversation

• Hold less eye contact than women

Due to brain entering rest state more

often

FEMALEBRAIN

• More activity, even in a rest state• More verbal centers• Greater sensory/emotive experience• More diverse data absorbed for more

inductive processing- from specific to general

• More cross talk between hemispheres

• Verbal fluency from both sides of the brain

FEMALEBRAIN

• More relational play with objects such as dolls

• Connecting words to feelings and bonding using words

• Trying to extend conversations using open ended questions

• Use all senses for activities such as shopping

Due to lack of

testosterone surges in utero and puberty

FEMALEBRAIN

• Constantly reassessing—running sentences, tones of voice, gestures, facial expressions, arguments, etc. through this part of the brain

• Pick up on subtle signals, reading faces

• Can “overthink” relational matters• Process information more completely• Have more exact memories of time

and place• May be more self-critical • Link more emotional activity that is

going on at a given moment (mid-brain limbic system) with thoughts and words (in top of brain-cerebral cortex)

Due to more blood flow

inside limbic system

(processes life

experiences)

FEMALEBRAIN

• Brain is more constantly active• Preference for longer discussions and

more details• More eye contact than men Due to brain

having more neural

activity at any given

time

BRAINS AT REST

Women have 10 times more white matter

connecting different brain centers- ideal for

multitasking and language-based tasks

Men have 6 times more grey matter- localizing

brain activity into a single active center

that is great for focusing on a task

INDIVIDUALISTIC v. RELATIONAL

In a conversation, Individualistic people focus on words gestures and tone while relational people take all clues into

context. This can create quite a difference in perceptions of a conversation.

Men Women

Testosterone- fight or flight Higher levels of oxytocin, serotonin, estrogen and progesterone- tend and befriend

Fighting Bonding through communication

More sense of value through personal, independent performance

More sense of value and worth through bonds

Action- performance imperative Talk- connection imperative

BRAIN CHEMICALS UNDER STRESS

HOW TO ADJUST

Call differences “Competencies

” to make them tangible

for the workplace

Ideal for job descriptions, performance reviews, etc.

EXAMPLE of INDIVIDUALISTIC/RELATIONAL RESPONSES

Annie suggests to her superior that she may get more work done working remotely

EXAMPLEIndividualistic Response:

“We’ve gone over this before. You’re beating a dead horse”

• challenging ideas• finding weaknesses• asking “prove-it” questions

poking holes in argument

EXAMPLERelational Response:

“I have heard virtual teams are more effective if they have “water cooler conversations”

• building a case• adding to validity from

knowledge and experience• asking clarifying questions• suggesting resources

NOW THAT YOU UNDERSTAND…Many women have said, “I saw my whole career flash before my eyes- for all the good ideas I’ve dropped after being questioned”

“I was sure that my boss thought I was stupid. I was ready to quit my job. Now that I know, I just smile inside.”

Both views have their own value in the workplace

HOW TO ADOPT AND ADAPT

Relational people can let their team know that they want great brainstorming on a project before bulletproofing it. Employees need to know they won’t be chastised for thinking outside the box

Relational people can also learn to play devil’s advocate and not take criticism personallyIndividualistic people need to give encouragement for good ideas

Individualistic people should learn to play angel’s advocate and not focus on the negative aspect of an idea

EMBRACE EACH LEADERSHIP STYLE

WOMEN

Transformational leadership• Motivating• Coaching

MEN

Transactional leadership• Expectations• Passive Management

THE END

SOURCE:

Banducci Consultingwww.genderwork.com