Skills That Give Women A Sustainable Advantage Over Men
The following is a guest post by Brenda Berg. Her bio follows.
In the workplace, it feels as though men have the advantage over women. They’re seen as more knowledgeable, capable, and better than women at what they do. As a woman, you know that’s not true, but it’s hard to get others in your workplace to see that.
The fact is that women have some advantages that men just don’t have. If you’re interested in finding out more, read on.
Are men and women really that different?
As workers, men and women aren’t really that different at all even knowing that men and women have different brain circuity, according to the research made by National Academy of Science. They’re both capable of coming into work, giving it their best effort, and getting the results they need. The major difference that most people see is the fact that women may need to take time off in order to have children, but not even all women in the workplace are going to do this, either.
There are some differences, though, in how men and women go about their work. There are different skills at play that help women get the advantage in certain areas of their work.
Why is it that women have different skills?
The simple answer is because of culture, according to the study by Christoph Witzel. There’s fundamentally very little difference between men and women, apart from the obvious, but the two grow up in very different worlds. Women grow up in a world that teaches them that their worth lies in different directions to that of the workplace. To be successful, they need to be quieter, more flexible, and more willing to listen to others.
To some, this may be seen as a disadvantage. But to others though, this could be a real boon. These traits give women tools that men just don’t have, thanks to their own upbringing and culture. Just looking at the list of top 50 women in business, you can see that times have changed. That’s why, as a woman, you have a serious worth in the workplace.
The skills that give women the advantage
– Women don’t let ego get in the way: For men, their place in the industry is tied to their ego. This is because they’ve been taught that you must get higher up, in order to be thought of as worthy. For women though, it’s different. They don’t have to worry about status, and so they can see opportunity where others cannot.
– Women pay attention to the details: It’s no secret that most women are detail oriented. While men are looking at the big picture, women are taking care of the smaller details to ensure that everything gets done. The number of women on leadership positions are increasing every year. This women’s skill is highly valuable in any workplace, as women can break down their work into smaller chunks. These chunks mean no detail is overlooked, so everything is done correctly the first time.
This is especially true in writing. Amelia Foster, a writer from Academized, says that ‘Women are more careful with what they write. In business, after all, most of your communication is through the written word. They’re very careful to make sure their writing says exactly what they need it to.’
– Women are much better at networking: It can be argued that men stick very closely together, and so miss out on growth opportunities. Women are different. They’re happy to get out there and network. They know that it’s the only way to find new people to work with. According to the Athena Vongalis-Macrow’s study, women’s networking is more effective. They also understand that if they want to find new opportunities, they’re going to have to help others out. By holding the door open for each other, both parties can get ahead.
– Women are more adventurous: Women are known to take more risks than men. Men may advertise their risks more, but women quietly make the jump and do things that are against the norm every single day. They’re more willing to do something out of the box if they’re unhappy with what they’re currently doing. For example, they often go freelance as it offers them more opportunities. According to UK dissertation, it has seen an influx of female freelancers in recent years, as the job offers them more flexibility. There are 63% of women of their freelance jobs against 37% of men.
– Women create more meaningful relationships: Women are known to be better at working on their relationships, so they’re much better at bringing a team together. That’s a valuable skill you want to find in any leader. They’ll create deeper relationships too, so those working with them know they can be relied upon when needed.
– Women give more: There’s a reason why so many women run non-profit organisations, take part in a charity sector or donate more money. They’re more willing to give more of themselves to make things work, according to the study provided by Women’s Philanthropy Institute. Where a man may go home at the end of the day with the work half done, a woman will make sure the job is completed before they leave. This can have an unexpected downside though, as you can end up giving too much of yourself. Women who can strike the right balance though should be prized in their workplace.
– Woman are about the job, not their image within it: When a woman comes to work, she’s not worrying about how she looks if she takes on a certain task. Instead, she’s focused on getting the job done. That means the job gets done well and ego never gets in the way.
– Women take more care with the technicalities of writing and speaking: It’s more often women take care with the grammar and spelling in their work. No matter where they’re speaking and writing, be it a public speech, an email, a press release, a blog post, on social media, or even an agreement, their language is technically much more polished and sometimes even more emotional and creative.
If their writing isn’t as polished as they’d like it to be, women are more likely to go and get help to improve it. For example, Big Assignments says that their audience contains many more of women coming to them for advice rather than they see men.
Women have plenty of skills that make them a real asset to any job they work at. You do have the edge over men when it comes to building teams and taking risks. Put them to the test in your workplace.
About The Author
Brenda Berg is a professional with over 15 years experience in business management, Marketing and Entrepreneurship. Consultant and tutor for college students and entrepreneurs. Freelance writer in https://resumention.com/ who is encouraged to travel around the world and share gained experience.
