Women and the Workplace

When I’m asked about women in the workplace, gender equality and glass ceilings, I often find myself faced with a duality of external perceptions and my own. On the one hand, the world media, women’s groups, governments, etc. feel the need to carve out a space for women to be seen, heard or spoken of. That’s good to a certain degree as a common interest group but let’s not deepen the divide – anyone who needs that kind of help is probably underprivileged in some manner and the notion that women are underprivileged is a misnomer. Here’s why:

We’re the same, but different: I’m a strong believer in the fact that people work for or with people and not just companies or vendors. In a room full of men, it’s easy for women to get noticed and make an impression, but more importantly, to strike a rapport based mostly on intuition and gut feel. We can spend less time networking and yet make lasting relationships.

We think with our gut: We’re intuitively attuned to the people around us, what makes them tick, when to lift them up and when to show tough love. It’s hardwired into our systems, which gives us the ability to play to people’s strengths.

We nurture: Whether we are with children or a project or a company, we treat all of them (at least some of the time) as our “babies” — to nurture and help them grow and succeed.

Two hands, ten tasks: Sure, it’s a cliché, but we do multitask and we do it with ease. This makes us productive and efficient and able to pack more into the hours we work.

I know what you’re thinking. I started with the notion that women are equal to men, and then went on to define why we’re better. That is where my mindset differs. These aren’t traits that make us better; they’re the things that make us different. They complement the street smarts, brawn and networks that men bring to the table.

As a woman in a leadership role at my company, I look around me at the people I work with and the entrepreneurs I help nurture, and I am unable to look at them as men or women. I look at them as individuals with potential in varying degrees. I’m unable to differentiate their appraisals, raises or promotions based on gender. As a woman, I refuse to put the women on my team ahead of the men just because they are women. My teams have almost always had women, and this is purely because they bring a unique value to the table. Often times I come across situations where women don’t get picked for that prime role because they are not pushy enough about getting it, do not have enough mind share with the decision maker or even because they question their own ability. This is where a little help can go a long way and women leaders do need to help other women along the way.

If companies want to leverage the unique power that women bring to the table, then they need to ensure that women are not a minority – whether in work groups, divisions or the board. The current way of assessing people for recruitment or promotion is largely based on a bunch of skills that were drafted aeons ago for a male dominated work force. Companies today talk about innovation, customer experience, ecosystem building, entrepreneurship, etc. as the new age directions for success. This needs a new set of skills and way of thinking, which demand heavily diverse work groups and leaders. I believe when companies see the merit in this, we will naturally see more women in the workforce and in leading roles. 

The point I am driving towards is whether at the workplace or beyond, individuals need to be treated based on merit, ability and commitment. Gender biases in any direction are simply unethical and the world over, countries and companies are working to change that.

Annie Mathew
Director Alliances and Business Development
BlackBerry