Playing the Game: Gender & the Workplace

glassdoor.com

This week’s Twitter #careerchat took a shot at gender differences at work. Is it about chromosomes or communication? Read the highlights below!

Q1: What are some of the biggest gender differences you see at work?

benwmaddox: Men outnumbering women 6-1 in development department seems fairly normal.
DaveYouTern: Seems there are more men in the high-tech industry. Silicon Valley – home of “Man Jose” – (San Jose) has a huge gender ratio.
bbenishek: At an old co, women occupied 2nd highest roles, but men occupied “the” highest. Glass ceiling, or just no interest in stress?
DaveYouTern: When I used to work in offices, the differences I saw were mostly in interactions. The women seemed to be more collaborative.
sarahzubarik: I see that all upper management positions at the ad agency I work are held by males. It’s all females in the creative dept.
myFootpath: The places I’ve worked, it’s been a pretty even mix, or maybe slightly more women.
sarahzubarik: I work in a small office & the bro-in-law is 2nd highest, family friend is the controller. It’s hard to compete against family.
RecruiterAT: C-levels seem to be all male in our company currently.

Q2: Experts say that men and women manage power differently. What do you think?

bizMebizgal: female subordinates expect women bosses to be more egalitarian when it comes to leading.
myFootpath: This doesn’t really speak to the office, but I do see some gender differences in industries and efforts to change that.
RegalResumes: Sheryl Sandberg, COO of Facebook does a great speech on why there are so few women leaders: http://t.co/sh6mShzh
DaveYouTern: I have no science to back this up, but I’ve noticed female bosses I’ve had, who played team sports in HS or college, were MUUUCH better managers than those who hadn’t. They were more “managers” and less “dictators”.
Path_To: I think it has a lot to do with personality types. Anyone familiar w/ Meyers Briggs. Extroverted women dictate too.
DaveYouTern: The same may hold true for men as well. I’ve mostly had female managers, so I have more “research subjects” there.
Path_To: My wife is INTJ and was never noticed by men in her organization until she started networking and playing the game.

Q3: Women and men communicate differently in the workplace, what differences have you seen?

myFootpath: I notice more communication differences between the generations. Anyone else?
DaveYouTern: Women often justify their comments… Instead of “That won’t work” they say “That won’t work… in my opinion”
RecruiterAT: Men are often times more direct than women.
bbenishek: I’ve noticed an odd flip in roles: Male IT developers whining about project, woman team lead saying “get er done!”