Posted On05 Mar 2018
Women have come a long way since Rosa Parks refused to leave her seat on that Alabama bus. Today, whatever industry a woman sets her sights on, she has the potential to thrive just as well as men, if not better. Case in point-women take up a larger percentage of the labor force than ever before.
And yet, despite all the progress made, many women find it difficult-maybe even impossible-to succeed in modern workplaces, especially those that are dominated by men. The idea that the office is a man's world still prevails, and when women come into the fray, they are told that to move up in the corporate ladder, they need to abandon their feminine side and take a more aggressive and masculine approach to their career.
Celebrating Female Strengths in the Workplace
Fortunately for women, workplaces are changing with the times, and womanly qualities are getting better acknowledgement and appreciation. Below are the ten strengths that women bring to any workplace. See how you can use them to your advantage.
1. Generosity
Women are natural givers, and not just of the physical kind-they are also generous with their time, compliments, support, and other intangibles that are often lacking in male-dominated workspaces. Women find it easier to encourage colleagues and are gracious enough to let others flourish before them. They conduct their work in a charitable and friendly way to ensure everyone is doing okay. They try to keep the work environment open and sociable so that everyone contributes their best effort toward the benefit of the team and/or company.
2. Authenticity
The relationships that women cultivate are genuine, meaningful, and long-lasting. They are experts at enhancing connection and communication points between people. Likewise, they don't give up easily on the relationships that they create, fully standing behind the people that have earned their trust. This caring character lets them quickly identify potential problem areas in personal interactions, which is invaluable when there's a need to organize, merge, and improve business outcomes.
3. Persuasiveness
Their inclination toward building stable relationships help women be more empathic listeners. This enables them to appeal to each co-worker's unique feelings and needs. In turn, this gives them a certain amount of authority to be more persuasive in the workplace. They are more open to objections and concerns raised by their peers, and their empathic disposition aids them in formulating the proper response to issues.
4. Positivity
Women are less aggressive than men, which helps them remain calm when faced with tough and challenging situations. While men will typically try to solve tense and complex problems with some (if not more) hostility, women tend to be patient and look at workarounds first, solving problems with a smile on their face and making sure to avoid adding to the stress of the situation.
5. Team Spirit
While men tend to go at it alone, women prefer to involve other people in their work to get a job done. When this characteristic is introduced to the workplace and allowed to permeate, it can result in the formation of working teams that help each member achieve a mutually beneficial relationship with one another. Everyone will start to feel that their contributions are valued, and members will be more willing to provide their input on the next opportunity.
6. Sensitivity
Women are innately more sensitive than men. This allows them to look at things from a different perspective, letting them see things in ways that men, in general, cannot. Women are simply more emotionally aware and passionate, and this can spur motivation and innovation in the workforce. The open work environment that women invite and promote gives people more permission to be involved in the improvement not only of the workplace but the company as a whole.
7. Social Consciousness
Social responsibility comes second nature to women. A US survey found that successful businesswomen are more likely than their male counterparts to own a business that considers making a positive impact on the world a primary goal. The women are more responsive to causes that relate to many people, such as childhood, health, hunger, maternity, poverty, etc. Likewise, women tend to give back to their communities more than men. This gives emerging businesses and markets the boost they need to thrive.
8. Attention to Detail
Women are more meticulous in their work than men. Even when juggling a lot of responsibilities at once, women take the time to make sure their methods are always organized and detail-oriented. By being more cautious, women make fewer mistakes. This can be a valuable trait in transactions that involve lots of money. According to Rothstein Kass Institute, hedge funds managed by women performed better than those managed by men by significant margins across multiple metrics. Having someone who can make sure all i's are dotted and t's crossed can be great to have in a business that wants to be profitable.
9. Intuition
"Woman" and "Intuition" are two words that go hand in hand. Women can more easily pick up very subtle clues not just about how people around them are feeling, but also when something doesn't look or feel right. There may be no logical reason for that feeling but applied and harnessed properly in a workplace or business setting, a woman's intuition can be useful in mitigating the negative effects of risks, perhaps even eliminating them altogether.
10. Stress Tolerance
Women have an inherent ability to resist stress, thanks mainly to the combination of their positive and sensitive nature. Women tend to engage in more soothing and nurturing behaviors than men during times of stress, thus increasing the likelihood of overcoming its power. With less stress, women become more focused, organized, and productive.
In today's world where communication and collaboration are critical to success, women have a considerable advantage over men in the modern workplace setting. Let these ten strengths define you as a woman and give your best to achieve your goals not only in your career but your life as well.
