Gender and the workplace, does gender effect work performance?
When it comes to experiences with working for men and women, I have both. To be honest, I have never taken the time or much cared as to differences until the topic of women in the workforce being harassed hit the media spotlight for various reasons. Disclaimer: In no way am I condoning any criminal activity. It seemingly has made women reflect on all the bad instances. What happened to the saying, “with the good comes the bad”? Not all things in the workforce are bad, so let’s reflect on the good for a change.
So, how does gender effect work performance?
Boy (or girl), is this a loaded question. One that everyone has an opinion. Sure, the chromosomes define the gender, but does the gender define the person? Or, are we putting a label on gender?
Women have a larger hippocampus, which is where we store memories. Women can recall every single word of an argument from 2 years ago. This allows women to take a more intuitive approach because they perceive people and events deeper and with greater memory capacity as they reflect on multiple situations. Many say, “a women’s intuition,” I think not. Men tend to take a more fact-based approach to their environment, often scanning for threats and challenges. Many say men are the “protectors and gatherers.”
“Women take a more intuitive approach because they perceive people and events deeper and with greater memory capacity as they reflect on multiple situations.”
When it comes to problem solving, men tend to define and clarify the problem and begin by eliminating and isolating issues. Unlike women who will define the problem in broader terms and examine a wider array of potential factors before going into solution mode. If you are in a relationship, what I’m about to say will resonate with you. Women want to talk out every problem in grave detail, whereas men want to dive right into solving the problem. Men tend to think through the issue independently, whereas women talk through issues with others. It is a fact of life based on our gender makeup. Men’s brains gravitate towards facts and logic, while women’s brains are geared toward intuition and emotion.
How could we possibly manage people the same way? We cannot, but we can be good people with good qualities just the same.
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