In this male dominant world, female managers and executives need to demonstrate strong leadership qualities to be at or above par with the male and be successful in their goals.
It is quite an observation that successful women perform a socially accepted behavior which stays within the purview of decency and professionalism.
They are neither over-feminine nor over-masculine. But, both gender working together as peers, some attitude parts are certainly seen in men and negatively perceived by them once his female co-worker gains a step forward.
Men have a tendency to give a backlash advice “do a bit of this, but not too much”.
Today’s woman is a mistress of choice. The urban Indian woman has become adept at multi-tasking, and as she redefines career goals, she is also nipping and tucking her relationships.
On the other hand, we have seen some women who still feel out of the box with all male colleagues around.
Women Working with Men:
To help you give your daily grind another go, we’ve identified some of the unearthed piles of research, so that you can go from loathing your colleagues as well as job, to loving it.
1. Share your old and conventional thoughts:
In this fast track world, one might think what will happen to the traditional relationships in India as women shed their conventional roles and head back on the work force at par with the male gender of the society, in a far more enabling environment than ever before?
Will the battle of the sexes take on a new edge?
Will alpha moms morph into beta career girls or will there be any synthesis?
Will she be the alpha mom, the beta career girl or a complete blend of both? Just be what you are and you will be wonderful at everything you do. Be it professional or personal.
2. Be bold and confident:
Women are considered to be chatter boxes and gossip queens.
To break this dilemma, it is necessary for women to present a plan or proposal in such a way that her points include more solutions for the problems rather than the problems itself.
Treat yourself like a business queen, and you will attract a king. Rarely, a man will offer a support when you talk about a problem.
You should create your own walls for your own protection. Be who you are and say what you feel.
3. Be direct:
Often men feel that women talks to manipulate them. You should talk to the point while you discuss about some suggestions.
Giving options to them creates confusion. They have a nature to treat sharing as complaining.
So it is advised to interrupt in the middle only if you have a solution to the problem. Accept who you are and revel in it.
4. Learn about men small talk:
Try to converse with them in hall ways or at lunch. Become a part of their informal communication.
You will have to learn something about sports or politics or markets as a home work, but then you will get involved with them better while you discuss with them.
You don’t have to fear when you are not an expert. Observe your co-workers and find positive ways for interaction. Then your male co-workers won’t treat you as an alien.
5. Build informal relationships:
It is highly recommended to build in informal relations with male colleagues. It may so happen that you may be the first women they have had comfort.
It takes effort but it is worthwhile. If your interaction is professional, your behavior will not be misinterpreted and this male female well off relations will always work wonders for your life at work ahead.
6. Avoid inter-colleague conflict:
Colleague is a tricky territory to negotiate, but making one your sworn enemy, can hamper your productivity, especially, with the opposite sex and have worked together closely for some time.
People may give a doubt whether the problems are professional or personal.
It is better to keep your personal problem at bay because as soon as it has impact on everyone else’s work condition, it becomes professional and demands action.
7. Try Kindness:
Don’t be under the misconception that when complimented on a new top, or invited over coffee, you should downright say no or be rude or misbehave.
You can accept some time. And In exchange, even you can someday invite him to a cup of coffee.
You need to understand that even men are human being like you and they are not office monsters. Don’t look at them with a sharp eye.
8. Make your whereabouts easy going and natural:
An informal relation with men helps you to a great extent. You will be more confident in presenting yourself with the top levels and nevertheless, your male managers will feel more comfortable giving you feedbacks for your work which will improvise your intellect. In this way, work becomes more fun and rewarding.
9. Keep your emotions out:
Your boss may expect too much from you. In this situation ask for help instead of complaining.
Complaining is equal to wasting both of yours time. Keep your emotions fully controlled when asking for any support or help. And give more emphasis on what you want to say. Justify your request when you are asked why you need it.
10. Become a friend:
Respect his emotions as well. If he has done something good, he doesn’t require a motherly empathy from you. Don’t pat his back.
Just ask as a friend, congratulate him and celebrate with him. Give him the required space when he needs. Don’t get too much involved with his emotions.
11. Build his image in public:
Give him credit and recognition when he has achieved something in public, but if you want to point out any mistakes, or suggest any changes, then do it in private. Men do not like to be corrected by women in public.
Keep in mind these factors to maintain healthy relations. Always include his achievements and accomplishments when introducing him in public.
12. Make your interruptions graceful:
Generally, the first word after you interrupt is very light. So Instead of saying May I say something..?
Just go with the flow and say “That’s absolutely true. And as far as I think…” and so on. Make your tone relaxing and impressive. Men are repelled by nervous and emotional tones.
13. Keep your personal and professional life separate:
Married women have a tendency to discuss their married life and about their in laws at office with other female colleagues. Some times with male colleagues also. They should stop this practice. It is not a safe area to discuss about.
Men have their own way of thinking. Just postpone the sharing of personal feelings. Men understand that when women involve them in their personal lives, they are trying to build a common ground with them.
They don’t understand that it is women nature but some may misunderstand it also. It is better not to give anyone any scope for expansion of wrong notions.
14. Avoid complaining to senior managers:
First of all you should not place any complaint against your manager or co-worker. But if you be in a situation where you must complain, then be objective.
Don’t make valueless judgments like he is not fit for the job, or he is not doing anything etc. Frame your sentences instead. Maintain your dignity.
15. Pace yourself:
When you are discussing something, don’t be immediately reassuring. Think and say. This will make him feel that he is earning your agreement.
Make some suggestions which may be helpful for the discussed issues.
If you think you are not emotionally groomed at present to talk about it, just ask for some time to be normal and then continue.
16. Stay on schedule:
When you have a discussion or a meeting with one of your male colleagues. Make it up on time for it. Men are generally punctual and don’t like to wait.
Let him know beforehand the time suitable for a meeting. Prepare agendas. Restrict to the time decided by you for the meeting to last.
Don’t exaggerate things too long and don’t include points where you are not confident or you have any doubt. Clear the doubts in advance before coming to the platform.
17. Depersonalize yourself:
Maintain a distance with your staff and employees. Instead of giving importance to the first person in the speeches, use ‘we‘, as in “we are expecting to.” or “we have planned or organized”.
Always include a ‘please‘ or a word of kindness in your demanding phrases, for making your work done more peacefully and calmly.
18. Shake your hands:
Don’t feel that you are inferior to men. Shake your hands firmly when you meet with a male who is a well renowned person.
Stand up and greet him when he enters your room. Shake your hands firmly.
19. Back up your ideas with your experiences:
To be original, provide backups to your ideas. Be polite and share your experience or the source through which you have generated an idea.
It happens at times that even when your points are perfect you are discredited. In that case, do not distress by showing that you felt bad personally. Stick to your argument when you are right.
20. Introduce Yourself:
Make a different identity of yours which shall last long in the minds of the managers. Give yourself recognition.
Think positive that you are classy and fabulous. Show that you are a woman a man needs. Not that you need a man to flourish. Stand up for yourself.
21. Wear proper attire:
Maintain your decency by wearing professional and formal dresses. Don’t choose short skirts or revealing clothes on a professional front.
Believe me, you’ll be talked about. Beauty is what you behave in public, it’s not something you wear or something physical.
22. Wear proper shoes:
Proper shoes transform your body language and attitude. It lifts you physically and emotionally as well. It changes the way you walk and automatically styles your footsteps.
23. Be with the crowd:
Being a women, follow the crowd. With the crowd you will not go any further than the crowd. But without the crowd, it is likely to find yourself in unknown places, no one has ever been before.
24. Build trust:
Men do not promote women because they know and interact little with them. Make your colleagues know all about you.
Apart from tangible rewards, you also build trust. Trust building will provide flexibility. It will build up in some time but it will give massive results once built up.
25. Don’t involve in non-sense things:
Don’t think that acting like a man or telling sexy jokes or using profanity will make you the star. Instead talk sensibly.
Men like women who are intelligent and logical. They don’t like women who are too friendly and frank. They can have fun but they will not make friends with them.
26. Strengthen yourself:
It is rightly said that when sleeping woman wakes, mountains move. A positive attitude may not solve your problems but it will make sure you don’t have any.
Only focus your energy in building new. Don’t care about the old. Women have strength in the forehead and not in the fore arm.
27. Dream of a good future:
As a woman, don’t de moralize yourself. Look ahead in your life. Imagine yourself twenty years ahead. Try to look at what you need to do now in order to get there then.
28. Sense your freedom:
Not every woman get an opportunity to earn a living and pay her own way. If you are getting the opportunity, utilize it as much as you can.
Be happy in your earnings. The sense and smell of independence is very sweet. Don’t mislead yourself into unnecessary situations which may lead to trouble at the end.
29. Rise and shine:
Being a boss is nothing king like. But being a female boss in a world of mostly men is especially appreciable.
Empower yourself with knowledge and wisdom to flourish yourself in a male dominated society. Remember one thing, Women hold up half the sky.
30. Bridge the gap of uneven gender divide:
In the fortune 500 companies, women hold only 14% positions. They earn 0.77% where a man earns a rupee. But still they have tried to break the hurdle and explore all positions in a male dominated society.
Being a woman, one has to go beyond her limits and prove her values, while some men get that automatically.
31. Ensure that you’re being heard:
Sometimes when you sit in a meeting, men overpower you. At that time you have to be vocal and logical for being heard.
Practice by joining activities where you can speak at your ease. That will be your safe zone. Be comfortable with your own voice to achieve professional confidence.
32. Earn respect for title and not for gender:
There are plenty of men who think that women are not suitable for certain tasks. They will treat their male colleagues and staff very well but will never consider a woman’s word.
In that case, you have to overpower him and make him understand by your actions that focus on the title and not on the gender.
33. Become tougher than times:
To lead yourself the world, you have to be strong and determined. You will have to gain and demand respect if you are not receiving it.
Men may try to stop you from the job. But your willingness will head them and not their urge.
34. Treat your defeat equally beneficial:
Men have a tendency to flair with women’s defeat in an exaggerated way. They will only blame the woman in the team.
You should have the power to mitigate the situation easily. You will have to stay focused and remove your obstacles with your courage.
35. Work diligently:
Women process things differently from men. As well, women have to face different situations when with men. But women have a power of thinking and analyzing the situation in a rational way. They think and then react.
Women also deal the situations with grace. This quality makes her earn respect from high level executives and with those whom she interacts regularly.
36. Observe High powered women:
Read about top women role model in every field. Read their life and struggle and the positions they have reached today. Get inspired by their acts.
Think LIKE. “If she can do it! Why can’t you..?” Think of writing the same story and reaching same heights. Imagine yourself in that position. Work hardest, and then you know, sky is the limit for you to rise and shine.
37. Become your own cheer leader:
In a male dominant society, don’t expect a man to pat your shoulder for your huge success. You have to believe in your own success. No one will advocate for you and I would rather say, don’t let anyone advocate you for your downfall.
38. Be career fearless:
Fears at work can be debilitating.
- What if I fail?
- What if I am not good?
If you let these fears get the best of you at your job, it may hinder your promotion or stop you from applying more challenging positions. Get the charge ahead of fear and work desperately for achieving your desired position.
39. Let others challenge you:
You should make company of people smarter than you. If your partner debate on things that you may have never thought of, it will make your ideas and products even much stronger.
40. Ask for help:
No One can do it all by herself. So, no need to give false notions. Everyone needs help in some way or the other. There is no such thing as self-made.
It is just that you don’t recognize the assistance of others when you reach your desired goal. Understand the vision and make others understand you vision as well, so that they may contribute their ideas.
To Wrap Up:
Women make up more than half of the professional strength as men. If women want to equal the effectiveness of male society, they need to be better connected in those areas.
If men are creating separate paths for themselves, women should put themselves in the path of men. It is advised to be in harmony with the male flock and move efficiently at your success steps.
