The Hindu Business Line : There's still room at the top

Anybody who has worked in an office will be familiar with these notions, a couple positive and the rest negative. Women managers are bad, tiresome, sensitive, soft, frustrated, insecure, tough, understanding, difficult to work with. It immediately becomes a gender issue, as if belonging to a particular gender predisposes one to behaving in a certain way as a manager. How true are these notions? And what do employees who've worked with managers of both sexes have to say about this?

Monisha Shah

Says Monisha Shah, Territory Manager responsible for India and South Asia at BBC Worldwide, "Quite clearly, the labelling of men and women managers as being different simply by virtue of their sex is too simple. The issues are broader and more complex. Personalities, more often than not, determine the qualities of a `good' manager — and there are many examples of leaders and managers amongst both sexes."

Most women managers interviewed for this article also found it relevant to mention the industry they were working in. According to them, some industries were more open-minded in accepting women managers and some less.

Sangeeta, who does not wish to be identified further says, "What is the ethos of the company you represent? If your answer to these question indicates gender bias then the fundamental question that needs to be asked of a woman manager is `What really does the organisation expect of you? Does it expect that only because you are a woman or is it because you are a manager? Period?" She pithily sums up the predicament women face when she says, "As a woman I am expected to remain softer so as to gain the acceptance of my colleagues and subordinates alike. Aggression is looked upon kindly only in `appropriate' measures. Efficiency is admired more when coupled with the softness of a woman."

That does seem to be true. Many of those who have worked for women expect, and find, that their bosses are more understanding when it comes to a matter like balancing home and work. "Women bosses have a tough streak in them but are more considerate and go the extra length to help you when it's necessary," is an oft-stated opinion. Women bosses might lend a more patient ear to explanations than men.

"You can't expect men to be sensitive anyway, so it comes as a bit of a let-down when women are as tough as them," says Suma Raja (name changed). The flipside of this is sensitivity: "At times, you feel walked-over," says Anu Lakshman, who heads PR agency IPAN's Chennai division. Says Shruti Bajpai, Director, Marketing (India), of HBO Asia, "I think women as managers are more sensitive, creative, multidimensional (they juggle a lot more in their professional and personal lives) and have a more holistic approach to what they do."

Suresh Krishnan who now works for IPAN and has worked with women managers throughout his career, finds it "very easy to work with women. Men are very difficult to convince even if you explain." Parimala Chari, his colleague, observes, "I think it's easier for the opposite sexes to work together, women together won't always gel." Interpersonal relationships between women see "petty issues being blown out of proportion", says Anu, a view which finds an echo in another woman interviewed for this article. Between male and female colleagues, the issues at play are those of money, power and control. "There have been instances when initially the male colleagues are condescending, but once you show them you are very serious about work, things level out. At the end of the day what counts is whether you know what you are talking about and how much you respect people around you. If you respect and appreciate them, they reciprocate," says Laxmi Hariharan, Marketing Director (Asia), Hallmark Channel.

Laxmi Hariharan

It is also true that women have to put in an extra effort to prove themselves, and be taken seriously. "Regardless of culture, there seems to be an `old boys' network at the very top where you really have to use a combination of charm and persuasion to be taken seriously. And that can be a little annoying," she adds. "Most women know that though they are competent, they have to be thick-skinned and have to be better than the next guy," says a woman editor who has worked in places as diverse as Mumbai and Chennai.

"The question about whether women have to `prove' themselves at work is altogether a different issue. As I see it, this is more about the wider question of whether women are discriminated against — and therefore have to work harder, over-compensate or be seen to be tough and aggressive to instil confidence in their ability," says Monisha. "Men do feel threatened if women earn more, as this is a question of power and control," says Anu. Circumstances too matter. According to Monisha, "It is undoubtedly true that women (and men) with young children have to time their work schedules differently from others, and this impacts how much time they will dwell on issues which need attention. On the other hand, men (and women) who have a lot of time to spend at work after (conventional office) hours do not necessarily do better work, or make better decisions." Work environment does seem to matter a lot, to the extent of defining how women are treated in certain sectors. Says Shruti, "I think that the work environment in most professionally run companies is extremely `equal' for both men and women. We see more women in the media industry, banking and human resources than in investment banking or engineering — I think that's probably because women are very good people managers."

"Glass ceilings do exist in traditionally male-dominated industries but increasingly, rules about equal opportunities employment make it harder for corporate institutions to discriminate on grounds of gender than ever before," remarks Monisha. All said and done, a woman has to cope with a lot more than a man, whose diversion from work at the senior level is only golf!"

Jokes apart, it all boils down to the personality behind the manager, man or woman. Listen to Laxmi, "I firmly believe that I need to be just myself. A sense of humour, not taking your work too seriously and l to be secure about your own talents so that you can give your colleagues a chance to prove themselves as well will go a long way!"

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