Two poles in one office

2024 Author: James Gerald | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 14:00

We met with a friend after a working day and went to a cafe.

- How are you? I asked.

- Horror! - answered the friend. - At work, a madhouse.

- What? - I asked sympathetically.

- Baba collective, - the friend shook her head. - They work disgustingly, and bite constantly. It's good for you, at least there are some men.

- Do you think they are better? I chuckled. - Those are still workers. Either they smoke, or they do their own thing.

“Maybe,” the friend said. - But it's at least easier to negotiate with them.

Indeed, many gender researchers believe there are differences. Including when it comes to work. Moreover, it was noticed that if the collective is homogeneous (only male or only female), then those negative traits that are considered to be purely masculine or feminine are intensified. It is best, of course, when representatives of the strong and beautiful half of humanity are in the office 50-50, but this is a rarity, and those who are lucky enough to work in such conditions are happy.

Why do women and men behave differently? This is partly due to their biology, partly to their environment and specific situation. In addition, we often choose one or another line of behavior because we know that this is what is expected of us. For example, it is generally accepted that a man should not openly demonstrate grief and weakness, a man should be strong, right? But what if he has a misfortune and is on the verge of bursting into tears? He has the right to do so. However, he often does not do this, because otherwise he will be known as a weakling. As a result, we have a myth that women are more emotional than men.

Many psychologists and sociologists hold the point of view that the range of individual differences between specific people far exceeds the range of differences between the sexes. However, be that as it may, in the work of men and women are different from each other.

What is important in work for US and for THEM?

Work is not the only thing in life. You don't have to be seven inches in the forehead to understand that this is the position of a woman. There are not so many who are "married to work". Family doesn't have to be on the second side of the scale - it can be some hobby, friends, sports, etc. Most women want to see their life harmonious and not skewed to one side towards a career. It's different for men. For many of them, it's okay to focus entirely on work. And not just at work, as in an endless process, but on the opportunities that it offers: career growth, material wealth. It cannot be said that women are devoid of ambition, but work for them is, first of all, an opportunity for self-realization, polishing their professional skills and gaining new knowledge.

What else is important for the fair sex? The psychological climate in the team. It is unthinkable to come to the office and work from call to call, communicating only on production topics. Sharing the news? And listen to the twists and turns of someone else's life? And gossip about friends? A good job for a woman is where all of this is possible. And also - working conditions: work schedule, distance from home, etc. - there are few representatives of the fair sex who do not pay attention to this at all. For a man, all this is secondary.

Who does the best?

Are there professions and positions in the world where, due to their natural characteristics, only women or only men can work? Hard - no. However, many employers intuitively determine who they would like to see - a woman or a man - in each specific position.

"I will never take a man to such a job where he will have to painstakingly collect information, process a lot of data for a long time or do the same thing every day. A man is not capable of this," one friend of mine, who runs her own business, told me. good when you need to quickly give birth to a new idea, negotiate, implement something. Moreover, as soon as it is implemented, it must be immediately replaced by a woman, otherwise the matter will not be brought to mind."

Of course, this is the position of just one person, but as it turns out, my friend's opinion is shared by many researchers studying gender issues. Indeed, it has been noticed that men are more mobile, more creative at work, women are more patient, more efficient and more reliable. And the differences don't end there. Men tend to be authoritarian, women tend to be democratic. Men pay less attention to the psychological situation in the team, they are more absorbed in the work itself and everything connected with it. For a woman, relationships in the workplace are of great importance. It was found that women are more flexible in communication and better determine the emotional state of another person. And if a woman is comfortable with her colleagues, then she can put up with the possible shortcomings of her work. And if you don't get in touch with someone? The woman will begin to declare: "I do not love her, which means that I will not work with her." For a man, such an attitude to the situation will seem strange. "Who will understand them, these women!" he exclaims with a grin.

Indeed, ladies often show more complex reactions to what is happening than men, who are much more straightforward in expressing their point of view, and therefore more understandable. As for the notorious emotionality, we note that women and men control and demonstrate it in different ways. If a woman is bad at home, then at work she will think about it. A man is not so dependent on his experiences in his personal life, in the office he can disconnect from his problems and immerse himself in work, completely forgetting about them.

What about self-esteem, this career engine? It is believed that most women tend to underestimate themselves. How is this expressed? We often place excessive demands on ourselves, are afraid to take risks, do not show initiative, and are embarrassed to admit our professional skills. Whereas men act in the opposite way. No, this is not about the fact that they work better than women, but they often serve and sell themselves more effectively than many of the fair sex.

Sad? But everything in the world is relative. And none of the human qualities can be called good or bad. It becomes such only in the context of a specific situation. For example, the inability to take risks. On the one hand, it is bad: no new undertaking is unthinkable without some risk. But on the other hand, what if a person who does not know how to take risks takes the position of an accountant? Quite a different matter, right? A risky accountant is, you know, fraught.

Conflict zone

There are few people without conflict. And there are no conflict-free working collectives at all. There is always some reason to collide heads. But the reasons for conflicts at work for men and women, as a rule, are different. The stronger sex conflicts mainly on issues directly related to work.

Production problems, career issues, distribution of responsibilities - this is why men can come out to sort things out. At the same time, the parties to the conflict express their point of view openly, say what they think, swear. For a woman, the reason for the conflict, rather, will serve as a relationship within the team or dissatisfaction with the working conditions. Who and when will go on vacation, why not me first, why she was paid more, why the director favors her more … And no one will swear openly. The woman will prefer to go in a roundabout way. Start a rumor, gossip on the sidelines, inform the authorities …

So who is it easier to negotiate with? One friend of mine is sure that with men. Another thinks that with women. And I think that a lot depends on our own attitude. If you do not look for flaws in everything, but accept your colleagues as they are, be they women or men, you have a chance to enjoy what you call "my work".