Does It Matter Whether You Are Male or Female?
Is there a biological difference between men and women? Yes, of course there is. But how much is the difference, 20% or 50%? Actually, it’s more close to that of 8%. Men are about 8% faster, jump 8% higher, can lift near to 8% more weight than women. It’s not much of a difference when it comes to strength, but it’s a huge difference when it affects our decision making.
When it comes to decision making, we ought to consider whether they are right for the job, not their gender.
Here’s an example:
Let’s say that I work in the HR department and I need to hire a new truck driver. There are two candidates for the position. One is a man who is 6 feet tall and weighs a 250 lbs with 10 years of truck driving experience. The second applicant is a women who is 5 feet 5 inches and weighs 160 lbs with 10 years of truck driving experience. If I see the world in this biological viewpoint, who would I hire? The man! Why? Because he’s a man.
It doesn’t make a difference whether they are just as qualified for driving the truck. But, when it comes to the problem of being male or female, it can affect our decision making.
Does it really matter if the individual is male or female? Take a look around your organization and see if there are any areas where there are more men than women. Consider why that is. If you do this, you are more likely to have the most capable and confident people in key positions, rather than if they are male or female.
To hear more insights from Kit on this topic, watch his presentation on Gender Communication here. Don’t forget to stop by next Monday for another video blog.