By Jean Hollands
Women are still hundreds of years behind men in the working world. Men were out hunting buffalo while we were making the beds - of berries and leaves. We are catching up, of course. Women got the vote only last century, and we finally managed to hit the boardroom in the last few decades. But still, women comprise less than 14 percent of those serving as CEOs, as university presidents and on public boards.
As women rise in the ranks, however, many of us are actually working harder than men. We often do triple duty - home, social life and work. Certainly, there are many wonderful husbands, and there are company leaders who value their women executives.
Given such facts, however, studies still show 85 percent of women executives are harder on themselves than they are on the men around them.
Here are some reasons why women may lag behind in the workplace:
• They are more sensitive to their colleagues.
• They take critical feedback more personally.
• They worry about their subordinates, peers and managers.
• They consider the disadvantaged employee.
• They do not always play to win, because others lose.
• They enjoy and encourage team play.
• They don’t assert themselves to their own advantage.
• They don’t expect to be paid as much as their male counterparts.
• They don’t always ask for what they deserve.
• They sometimes feel guilty about their families at home.
• They usually take responsibility for aged parents and caregiving assignments.
• They consider the social needs of their organizations, events, parties and assignments.
Now, before you get out your pens to write a letter of complaint to me, the following statements are my qualifiers:
• Not all women are the above.
• Many men are also very conscientious.
• Some women are intimidating, cold, calculating nasty employees.
• Some women are much worse than men in the above issues.
Jean A. Hollands, M.S., is founder and chairwoman of the Growth & Leadership Center in Mountain View. For more information, call 966-1144, or visit www.glcweb.com.
