What intrinsic qualities do women have that give them a
competitive edge over men? By an overwhelming margin, the trait touted most was
their multitasking expertise.
“I challenge any man to talk on the phone, send a fax, reply
to an e-mail, change a diaper, get a toddler a snack, monitor what your
school-age children are watching on TV and add to the grocery list — all at the
same time,”
Aside from their juggling prowess, women say they are more
intuitive than men, and thus more sensitive to nuance; are better problems
solvers; have more energy; are more patient, and are more likely to share their
know-how with one another.
They even turned a common dig against them, their supposed
emotionalism, on its head, saying it is a manifestation of a compassionate
nature that motivates employees, attracts customers and enables them to keep
their priorities straight.
How about that, guys?
True, the doctrine of female superiority wasn’t unanimous.
“There are no magic qualities that women possess ‘over’ men,” one woman wrote.
But she was in a minority of two skeptics.
The second question was whether women should try to imitate
men’s tough management style. Answer: No way. “Kindness goes a long way” and
“the gentle approach wins people over” were typical comments, though nobody
urged treating malingers with kid gloves.
“A woman should stand her ground and not be a pushover, but
she doesn’t have to save face like men do and be ‘tough’,” one mom wrote.
A few respondents acknowledged that men seem to have innate
advantages, like moving more quickly to put out workplace fires and paying more
attention to the bottom line. Others pointed out that a lot of men are great
bosses, and, on the flip side, women who emulate the tough-guy management style
can be nightmares.
“I’ve worked for a lot of humane men, that were actually
superior to women in their style, because they didn’t get catty, they didn’t
act unprofessional,” wrote Diana Dallal in Everett,
Wash., who left the corporate world and started a music studio in her home six
years ago when she was pregnant with her third child. “I have seen very bad
emotional behavior in the business world by women that I have NEVER seen men
do,” she said, including one who screamed at her in front of other employees.
She vows never to work for a woman again.
