The last two male workers in my department left the job. So in my department – its officially all females. Today was the first day since my male boss left on friday. Women can be quite scary to one another especially in a competitive environment. Changing from a male to a female boss has been dramatically different.
Some things you have to deal with working with female co-workers
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GOSSIP – Girls love to gossip about one another. When you put a bunch of girls in a room – you are going to get some people that hate you and some people that like you. Also some people who pretend to like you but actually hate you.
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POWER DISTANCE - Women in management from my experience doesn’t like to get to close to their lower associates. If they do act friendly – its almost never genuine. It’s all business.
I found out that the best way to be a neutral person in this kind of environment is to be friendly with everyone. Don’t ever talk behind anyone’s back and don’t agree with anyone when someone else talks behind someone else’s back. Try and find one person that you can completely trust. Allow the power distance between the boss and you. Make her feel like she is the boss and let her feel like she has the power. The more you make her feel like she’s has the power – the more she will like you.
I feel like one of the reasons why men seem to succeed in the business environment is because they support each other. Men are straight with one and other. They see competition as a friendly sport and a game. Women on the other hand – we don’t trust each other when we should be helping each other since we are the minority in the business world.
What do you guys think about women in the workplace?
I JUST wrote about this. (http://blogs.momaha.com/2012/01/9423/) I have not had great experiences with women bosses, and it seems I’m not alone. Good luck!
WOAH :) I totally agree with everything you wrote. It is WAYYYYYY harder to please a boss who is a woman compared to as a man.
hehe as much as i hate to admit it – i definitely agree. as a female, it is so much harder to please another female, they’re always out to put you down i find! and if they’re not, they’re just crazy psychos in general. as a lawyer, most of my bosses were female and they were all totally nuts. like literally screaming nuts. but now i work in the building/construction industry which is obviously male dominated and while it is better generally working with males (it is nice to have a mix though), males are just as bitchy as females. you can’t win!
Haha no way! The few times I had male bosses even when they had their bad days they were always straight and honest with me unlike girl bosses -they are so unpredictable