Lesson 3. Men vs. women

Warm up

I. Discuss in groups:

a) What is the style of male and female managers in companies in your country? Are they similar?

b) Do you think there is a difference in style between men and women or is any difference usually because of personality?

c) Do you know any men who have a ‘female’ style of working? Or women who have a ‘male’ style of working?

d) Do you find it easier to work with men or women? Why?

II. The same or different?

Do men and women bring different qualities to business or is it nonsense to talk about male and female management styles?

Decide whether the following management qualities are more typical of men, more typical of women or shared by both. Which of these qualities do you think you possess yourself?

1. Being able to take the initiative

2. Being a good listener.

3. Staying calm under pressure.

4. Being prepared to take risks.

5. Being conscientious and thorough.

6. Having good communication skills.

7. Being energetic and assertive.

8. Getting the best out of people.

9. Being independent and authoritative.

10. Being supportive towards colleagues.

11. Being able to delegate.

12. Motivating by example.

13. Having a co-operative approach.

14. Being single-minded and determined.

15. Being a good time-manage

Reading

I. Read the text about the different styles that men and women have in the workplace. Look at the cartoon and say which figures you think represent men and which represent women.

Men and women do things differently. There are, of course, exceptions to every generalization, including this one.Cristina Stuart is a managing director of Speakeasy Training, a consultancy that runs courses for men and women working together. Here she describes a few key differences between the sexes in the workplace.