Hello Women! Goodbye Command & Control

I'm not going to focus on the economy any more than to say that I think a lot of employers are handling it poorly. AND, I think that they are handling it poorly because of a need for "Command and Control" (or masculine) management practices. Here's my take.

Most everyone who is working is worried about their jobs, but also can't get answers. My father is a teacher for the state of Connecticut (one of the states with the highest state budget deficits) and neither the superintendent or the principal is talking about whether or not lay offs are on the horizon. I've had friends ask their superiors specifically whether or not lay offs are coming, receive a "we'll be Okay" response, and be laid off a few weeks later. 

This dynamic is at play at home as well. If you're reading the papers (or watching 207), you'll hear folks reflecting on the need to talk to your children about money. So many parents don't because of an interest in "not burdening" them with the tough reality (as if kids don't pick up on this stuff).
Why is there a need to control information? Power. A very common, albeit masculine, management policy based on the principle that limiting people's access to information will somehow result in better outcomes.

Differences in leadership styles between women and men have been examined and documented by business writers such as Tom Peters, Sally Helgesen and Margaret Heffernan, political analysts like Dee Dee Meyers, and social activists Marie Wilson and Evelyn Murphy. It is understood that women leaders rely on vertical and horizontal flows of information, building “webs” and being deliberate in sharing information across a company. It is understood that women leaders encourage ideation and innovation from the bottom up which according to author Mary Parker “empowers the workforce as opposed to having power over it. ” Helgesen refers to women's focus on the “ecology of leadership, building a big picture vision that encompasses a vision of society – women relate decisions to their effect upon the role of the family, the American education system, the environment, and even world peace. ”

I saw this for the first time while at GlobalGiving during the start up days. Or Board Chair could be characterized as "tough as nails" (to be polite). She was slightly scary, but effective, and amazing to work with. She was an active Board Chair, active in fundraising (for which I was her side kick) and other operational duties. But at her first staff meeting, she did something quite novel. She laid down her management policies, and the first was transparency. "There might be times when we're running out of money," she said, "and I'll let you know. Some of you nitwits [OK... I'm not sure if she really called us nitwits...] might actually have an idea that could help. It'll do nobody any good if we go belly up and you didn't see it coming."

Feminine forms of leadership include disseminating information across the staff (family, or whatever the unit might be) such that people can do something with it. Yeah, if that information is bad news, they might start looking for another job (but if they won't stay with the sinking ship are they really that committed anyway?). But they also might deliver you a few major cost cutting ideas. They might also introduce a new revenue scheme or step up the pace on new client acquisition. In the bad news of our time, we forget that people are inherently good and are most likely to step up to the plate, rather than disappoint us. But only if enabled to do so.

I can think of no better time to rethink our position and policies on power, and begin bending towards the feminine. Because its March, the Maine Women's Fund community will be digging deeper into power, women's relationship with power, and our style of being powerful agents of change. Join us by sharing your thoughts here, email us at thewomen@mainewomensfund.org with your own story of power, women, and leadership, or continue to practice feminine leadership styles when its needed most.

Comments

[Elizabeth Stefanski]

Just found a very interesting blog post by Jonah Lehrer on the Frontal Cortex about how the lack of information leads to poor decision making and less than successful outcomes.. http://scienceblogs.com/cortex/

[Elizabeth Stefanski]

It's possible I may spend the rest of the week commenting on my own blog... However, coincidentally I just found an online discussion regarding women and power at Social Edge. Check it out:

http://www.socialedge.org/features/discussions/responsibility/women-and-power