Skip to main content

Should you pour the tea?

"Will you be mom?" was a frequent request in my early boardroom days.   Not to mention, "will you take the notes?"

Not sure why, but while the notes just bothered me a little, the tea request drove me crazy.

The advent of coffee machines and tablets has largely done away with those two, but my discussions with many women who are sitting on boards and excos today tells me that there is still a way to go for women to feel fully included.

Gender jokes, swearing and male exclusive activities are some of the not so subtle ways that women mention.   Should you laugh at the jokes, accept the c word as a standard and take up deep sea fishing?

And if you don't, should you feel guilty about curbing their natural behaviour when you are around, which you are worried they will use as an excuse for further exclusion?

In other words, they are much more relaxed and themselves when you are not there, so do you accept things that make you uncomfortable in order to fit in.

Not so easy, and, adding to that, do you and your fellow female execs male bash when its "just the girls"? Or if you are a predominantly women exec group, do you regularly have conversations that would make the average man run for the trees?

Equal opportunity gender discrimination.....

Retaining your sense of humour while ensuring that you are not made to feel constantly uncomfortable is a real challenge.   I have tried both, and found it was like the frog in the water1, if you didn't say anything, there was a fast plummet into serious lavatorial humour, and if you did, there was an equally fast freeze out.

At this point, I would like to share that I have (and currently still do), worked with the most amazing gender sensitive men, who have never made me feel anything other than a fully contributing business colleague.   They, and there are lots, have been mentors, partners and coaches that I appreciate every day.

Is there a way that takes the emotion out of it, and moves gender issues forward in a positive and constructive way?    There is statistical information which clearly indicates that including women in top management and executive positions has a positive impact on the bottom line.

In South Africa, there is an interesting initiative that is talking about embracing gender mainstreaming and putting it forward as a key way to start making the changes.   Colleen Larsen (@collarsen) is running workshops on the topic during July.  What is it?  Its a methodology that encourages men and women to work together to effect change.   If you want to find out more, contact Colleen or let me know so that I can point you in the right direction.

The original question about pouring the tea still stands, though?   Should you?   or its 2014 equivalent...


Links, References and Notes

Accsys
Boiling frog
Business Engage

Note


Thank you for reading Teryl@Work.   Should you wish to use any of the material, please acknowledge this blog as the source

email:      tschroenn@accsys.co.za
twitter:   @TerylSchroenn




Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Its all about the numbers - retirement age

Weight, height, age, dress size, shoe size, all numbers that we (and the media) use to define people. I was fascinated by an article from the Leicester Mercury where the age of each witness to a bus crash in January were carefully listed. Sue Kellett, 56, whose front garden is bordered by the wall, was one of the first at the scene. Read more: http://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/Bus-driver-airlifted-hospital-collision-tractor/story-20512289-detail/story.html#ixzz31lXUuyZg Read more at http://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/Bus-driver-airlifted-hospital-collision-tractor/story-20512289-detail/story.html#9cHShVptF30lJw4X.99 Sue Kellett, 56, whose front garden is bordered by the wall, was one of the first at the scene. Read more: http://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/Bus-driver-airlifted-hospital-collision-tractor/story-20512289-detail/story.html#ixzz31lXUuyZg Read more at http://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/Bus-driver-airlifted-hospital-collision-tractor/story-20512289-detail/story.htm...

Flexibility in the workplace

Is flexibility now a reality in the workplace?   And is it really working?   The assumption of control over one’s own time and deliverables does look like a great way to work and live, and it seems to be is a high priority for those entering the business world. Decision makers in business, along with HR managers and recruitment consultants, are very much aware that both current employers and new recruits are looking for guidance and ideas as how to achieve work/life balance. It is accepted that this balance has to form part of the workplace. Yes people still need to prove themselves, initiative is still expected, hard work and commitment are still viewed as non-negotiable – but the dynamics of employer/ employee relationship has changed. And it is innovation in ICT that has paved the way. The advantages of a mobile workforce can include an increase in productivity, lower total cost of ownership and a wider, more direct reach to the market. In ess...

Sales - Setting Targets

Are your salespeople included in setting targets?   Very few are.  Sales targets are based on previous individual performance, sales division performance and budget requirements.   In some companies everybody gets the same target, regardless of abilities or previous successes, while in others it is an enormously complex beast with all sorts of criteria used. While the business requirements have to be met, it is important to discuss and collaborate with the salespeople themselves. Sales is a game, and each time you play a game, you should want to do better.   If you are not competitive by nature, sales can be a very tough career.  It is, anyway. More and more, sales management is about coaching, not managing, so it really important for sales managers to understand how coaching works.  There are great courses out there which guide sales managers through the coaching methodology. A simple, but structured approach to target setting with lots of commun...