FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(Dallas, TX) -- A man puts his nose to
the grindstone. But a woman sharpens her
claws on it. That's the conclusion of a
new study of American women managers.
The latest study from veteran research
scientist Shannon L. Goodson examines the
differences between informal corporate support
for men and women - the old boys network
vs. the old girls network.
"For generations," Goodson says,
"men have worked as hard on their golf
game as their work skills to help establish
themselves professionally." As a professional
woman herself, Goodson has found networking
with other pro-fessional men and women extremely
valuable.
Recently Goodson and colleague Terry Donia
began surveying a sample of approximately
150 male and female managers from Fortune
500 companies. Survey participants ranged
from middle management to senior executive
level. What they found is new support for
networking, along with alarming and altogether
unexpected rumbles of discord just beneath
the surface. The glass ceiling, it turns
out, could have a sister: the petticoat
hurdle.
As expected, women overwhelmingly agree
that forming and maintaining networks is
important. But Goodson found out that mere
rhetorical commitment to networking does
not necessarily create more effective managers,
or shorten their path to the top.
Fifty-four percent of the managers surveyed
said it didn't matter to them whether they
worked for a man or a woman. But those who
expressed a preference had an unexpected
opinion. Seven in ten said they would rather
work for a man than a woman. Why? Their
reasons varied, but their comments on women
managers had a common thread: "Backstabbing,"
"Gossip-focused." "Not as
supportive as men." "Crisis creator."
According to Donia, "There may be
more bitching than bonding going on among
aspiring career women."
Goodson is quick to point out that women
are not intentionally bad bosses. They are
just trying to survive the best way they
know how. "Male managers in well established
networks are more likely to give each other
a helping hand because they see it as an
investment in their own career," she
says.
But women must still compete against men
and against each other for fewer opportunities.
So they are more likely to see each other
as potential threats. Their attitude tends
to be, "If I help you today, will you
step over me tomorrow?"
Goodson offers no excuses for such self-protective
behavior. "Women need to recognize
that bitchy behavior can destroy more progress
than it creates. There are enough real obstacles
to our professional growth without throwing
hurdles in each other's path."
Shannon L. Goodson is co-author (with George
W. Dudley) of the bestseller The Psychology
of Sales Call Reluctance®: Earning What
You're Worth In Sales. For more information,
call 972.243.8543 or visit our web site
at www.BSRPInc.com.
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