| Topic Name: |
Touchy Issue |
| Message Name: |
Deja Vu |
| Date Posted: |
03/16/2005 |
| In Reply To: |
When I first read this, I could not believe my eyes. I was almost compelled to write the same exact thing a while ago.
First, the basics: I am a man.
But not just any man. I am a fully evolved, open-minded, well-adjusted and well educated professional. I will even vote for Hillary in 2008.
However, whenever I am reviewing job opportunities these days, I am very wary of potential women bosses.
Why? Well, my first boss was a woman and she was fantastic. In fact, she very well was probably the best boss that I ever had.
I had a succession of male bosses and project managers as a consultant and they were quite ordinary though a positive experience for the most part.
Some years back, I worked at a start-up and had a female boss who was a few years older than me. She was a nightmare. I felt that she thought that I was competing for her job or something and she never lost an opportunity to exert her position. I expended a lot of energy making sure that I never came off in a threatening manner but I still could never figure her out. She was always scheming and conniving and looking to lay blame somewhere.
I know she is probably not representative of her entire gender, but I certainly realize that it would have been impossible for us to have had such a bad relationship if she had been a guy.
Some women managers (especially the younger ones) feel a strong need to exert themselves all the time and are not just relaxed enough to understand how to relate to their subordinates.
My opinion (probably wrong) is that it is somewhat indicative of the hassles that they go through in such a male-dominated world.
I read a recent article on Carly Fiorina that also suggested that she was notoriously bad in allowing strong leaders to emerge under her. I think this was one of her clear failures and one of the reasons she is out of a job today.
k. |
| Message: |
As I read through these messages I feel a sense of deja vu.
Fortunately or unfortunately, I've always had female bosses.
As an intern and then at two jobs since college.
Got along with my first boss unbelievably well -great mentoring relationship, good delegator and effective communicator.
Since however, my luck has turned sour. My former boss much like Fiorina has a problem with delegation. At first I thought it was me, but the person who took my spot, a woman, has the same problems.
My current manager is the worst communicator in the WORLD.
I have however found it effective to continually repeat what I hear to her and confirm things a few times before I embark upon a project. The process can make work a little more cumbersome and sometimes difficult but will help in the long run. Sometime's you have to make up for the shortcoming of others.
Also, read those books somebody recommended in an earlier post. Am going to step out of the office to buy myself a copy now.
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