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I'm always looking for interesting reading. Imagine my surprise recently when Tom Kohntopp sent a link to this article to me! He asked if I thought this issue was a problem in IPS. I don't know - what do you think?
Andrew R. McIlvaine says, "studies consistently confirm that women bosses are less popular than their male counterparts. But experts say that's due to a double standard in the way colleagues view female and male bosses. Increasing awareness of the bias may help, but some experts say leaders should just focus on being the best they can be."
Robert Sutton, professor of management science and engineering at Stanford University and author of the upcoming book, Good Boss, Bad Boss: How to Be the Best and Learn from the Worst, says "The bar for women being in tune with people for how they're perceived is simply higher." ... "But keep in mind that, if you have to choose, it's better to be a bitch than a doormat. At least you'll be respected."
Read the entire article here.
Partnerships and Collaboration
7 years ago
2 comments:
I do not disagree with the assertion that there is a double standard in the “way colleagues view male and female bosses.” But, I do not believe the double standard is all one sided. By that, the assertion implies only negative attributes or standards are applied to the women bosses and only positive ones are applied to male leaders.
There should be a holistic approach taken when analyzing the issue of how female bosses are perceived, and a conscious effort made to identify those positive attributes and capitalize on them.
For example, in general a woman boss may be perceived as being more approachable than her male counterpart. If this is the case in a given work environment, the boss can use this to keep a finger on the pulse of her organization. She can also encourage interaction among her employees.
The literature clearly documents a long-standing double standard for how men and women in management positions are perceived. The reality of the double standard doesn't make management easier for men, but it adds even more challenges for women.
I concur with those who argue, "...leaders should just focus on being the best they can be." Part of that focus can include a deliberate effort to include different perspectives, styles and genders in leadership roles within an organization. Who knows, after time the historic bias may change from being gender based to focusing on eye color?!!!
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