Working for the Woman
In my working career, I’ve discovered that I generally prefer reporting to women. That is to say, when I have to report to anyone, I prefer women.
For the most part, I was raised by my mother in a single parent home, and that probably influenced how I deal with authority figures. There was a male authoritarian, but he was mostly a nuisance, not a contributing positive influence. Of course, his negative influence might also be partially responsible for my current perceptions, but I’m saving that story for therapy.
The women I’ve reported to have tended to be more understanding and less likely to view a male as a potential rival. In fact, it’s often the case that females in the workplace treat men better than they do other women. (Note: it’s not my intention to over generalize, only to share MY experiences) Most women I’ve encountered are more likely to have experienced being treated with less respect, and perhaps because of this, are more supportive. It’s also easier to have honest discussions about ideas and capabilities, because women are less likely to have a fear of showing weakness.
Now, it’s not all roses. Women are also much more likely to be moody and difficult to figure out. But since that’s more of a gender issue, it’s not entirely unexpected or even necessarily negative.
All of this could simply be my own warped perception, affected by the female dominated management of my current department. This does not include co-workers, as I’ve rarely had a problem with anyone that isn’t in a position to affect my employment status. Truthfully, I’ve never really had a problem with male superiors either, but I don’t enjoy having to deal with them. I’m aware that I have anger management issues, but when faced with a patronizing male bureaucrat, I often find myself thinking, “If you didn’t have power over me, I’d probably kick the shit out of you for talking to me like that.” Maybe I’m just a big ol’ girl with a short fuse. I didn’t say this was going to be fair and balanced…
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