Leadership and Executive Development for women of all races, cultures and backgrounds
Issue link: https://diversitywoman.epubxp.com/i/632328
d i v e r s i t y w o m a n . c o m W i n t e r 2 0 1 6 D I V E R S I T Y W O M A N 13 THINKSTOCKPHOTOS Etc. Upfront > Explaining Gender Differences at the Top O ver the years, schol - ars have uncovered several reasons for the persistent gender gap in the upper echelons of corporate structures, such as institutional barriers, an Old Boys' Club mentality, and in- nate differences in men's and women's behaviors. And now, researchers at Harvard Busi- ness School, Francesca Gino and a colleague, Alison Wood Brooks, think they have found some new pieces of the puzzle. In a series of studies that examined the experiences of more than 4,000 people, they found evidence that women perceive positions of power more negatively than men do, have more life goals than men do, and have a greater number of life goals that don't relate to achieving power than men have. In one study of executives who were asked to imagine getting a promotion that would give them a lot of power over others, both men and women predicted similar numbers of positive outcomes, but the women predicted more negative out- comes. The women also viewed such a promotion as less desirable than the men did and said they'd be less likely to pursue it. It's not that women are less ambitious, the researchers say. Instead, women's ambi- tions may be different from men's. At work, for instance, women may be motivated to pursue positions that foster strong relationships rather than power over others. And women's ambi- tions often extend across a broader range of personal and professional goals than men's do. This may make women turn away from high-level jobs because they believe taking them would interfere with other important life goals. The Power of Shortcuts N owa- days, it seems like just about everybody with a job feels over- loaded. Yet saying no to additional work can be tricky. Tese tips from social psy- chologist Susan Newman, author of Te Book of NO, may help. Keep your goals in mind. Some extra work is worth doing if it moves your career in the direction you want to go. When you say yes, do so strategically—to projects that will teach you some- thing you want to learn or help you make important connections. Decline gracefully. Turning something down without actu- ally using the word no is more palatable to the requester. Adding a bit of explanation can keep you from sounding like a shirker. Try "I don't think I can take that on, as I have too much on my plate right now," or "I don't think I'm the right person for that; my learning cur ve would be too steep, and I might not do justice to the project." Respond in person. Nuances are often lost in email, and you're more likely to come across as positive but frm if you communicate your response in person. Suggest other ways of getting the task done. Tis can be especially helpful with requests that come from your boss. You might suggest splitting the task with someone else who would be a good ft. Or you could say, "I'm happy to do this, but we'll have to shufe my priorities." Making the efort to ofer alternatives demonstrates your willingness to en- gage and problem-solve. Don't be flattered into yes. When someone says, "You're so good at X, would you be able to take this project on?" it's easy to agree without really thinking about it. Learn to acknowledge the positive feedback without signing onto the project until you have thought- fully considered it.