Recognition
Female leaders embrace differencesGood male managers are assertive. Good female managers are b#%*@$%. Anyone who's spent any time in the corporate world knows this double standard still persists. While women have managed to break through the glass ceiling and rise to managerial positions, they still don't enjoy the same level of success, and respect, as men. SHARON ASCHAIEK |
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 [ 2006-07-26 ] |
LEAD WITH GRACE
Elaine Allison, an international speaker on management issues and author of the new book The Velvet Hammer: PowHERful Leadership Lessons for Women Who Don't Golf (Positive Presentations Plus Inc., 2006, $19.95, available for order at www.thevelvethammer.com), says this is largely because too many women lead like men, instead of tapping into their own natural leadership qualities.
Drawing on the lessons she's learned from her own leadership failures and successes, Allison offers practical strategies to help female managers become "velvet hammers" -- women who lead with grace and eloquence.
The first step to getting there is understanding, and celebrating, the biological factors that make women different than men. Men have testosterone, the competitiveness-aiding hormone; women have estrogen, which fosters community building, she writes. Women are the historical household managers who excel at organizing and multitasking, which are valued traits in today's workplace.
From there, it's important for women to figure out their specific leadership style. The book features an evaluation for readers to fill in to determine if they're a Chief -- someone who needs to get things done; a Problem Solver -- committed to accuracy; Enthusiast -- a creative idea person; or a Friend -- loyal and collegial.
Securing the support, loyalty and best efforts of your employees involves remembering a key point, Allison writes: managing effectively is about listening to the people around you.
"Ask for what you need, ask for input, ideas or someone's thoughts on a situation. Velvet Hammers look for ways to develop people by asking, getting to know them; they can teach a lot if you listen."
A good manager sets clearly defined, attainable and practical goals, delegates required tasks to the right people, and knows how to create and follow a budget for her department.
She knows that people feel motivated when they're able to contribute their talents to achieve an established goal, she writes. Providing ongoing training and professional development opportunities also keeps people motivated -- they feel more confident about their abilities.
Contributions should be appropriately recognized should be made aware of how their efforts improved a situation -- and rewarded with cost-effective gifts, such as coffee cards or movie certificates.
"Velvet Hammers find out what their teams want and knows what makes them tick. They find out what 'motivates' and what doesn't. Then they watch to catch people doing things right and celebrate it."
A good manager, writes Allison, handles conflict between employees by getting them to discuss their different needs, and how they might meet in the middle.
"Velvet Hammers always move to the side of resolution and are solution-focused instead of being blame-focused. This will make you a strong leader. Don't get trapped into a contest of wills."
Finally, she writes, a good leader knows how to prevent becoming overwhelmed by delegating tasks to her team.
Velvet Hammers know we'll never get it all done; there is always something to do. You will need to take time out sometimes and simply not do it: "I hope you seek a support network full of positive people that can keep you moving forward."
PRACTICAL TECHNIQUES
The Velvet Hammer engages readers because it's full of compelling anecdotes of the author's own managerial experiences, including her stint as a prison guard at an all-male maximum security prison, and her role leading 1,400 unionized flight attendants.
She also writes clearly, gets the point across quickly, and offers practical techniques that can be implemented immediately. Progressing through the book, you discover that much of her advice can be used by both male and female managers. Nonetheless, the information will still be of value for female managers wanting to make their mark their own way.
Do you have you a bad boss?