6 Traits That Help Women Succeed in a Workplace of Men

It’s no secret that I run Sash Windows London Ltd, which is a company made up primarily of men. My staff respect me and even if I say so myself, I think I’ve made a pretty good job of making the business successful.

Women must be confident, self-assured and assertive in order to succeed. Although I think that sentence is true for some women, it is not true for all. In my view, women are naturally born to succeed whether it be in the workplace, in the home, creatively or anywhere else for that matter. We seem to have an inbuilt resilience and stubbornness that motivates us through the busyness of life. Below is my list of top strategies women use that help them succeed in a workplace full of men. Because sometimes we women need a bit of morale support.

Women Are Chameleons

Women are wonderful at adapting to their environments by assessing social situations and adapting their actions and speech accordingly. Women can adapt very quickly when put into new or unfamiliar situations. This can be an extremely useful strategy women often employ in the workplace as it allows them to remain in control, no matter what they may have thrown at them during the day.

Women Are Better Multi-Taskers

It is no coincidence that the majority of secretaries, receptionists and personal assistants are women. This is not to say women can only ever act as assistants to somebody higher, no, they can do whatever they want. It is just widely accepted that women are better organisers than men and therefore work well in the roles mentioned above. Not only can women multi-task in their home lives as they answer the phone, feed the baby and discipline the children simultaneously but they have adapted these skills for the workplace as well, making them extremely efficient.

Women Are More Resilient

Who said a woman’s emotions hold her back? Women are actually far more resilient than society has given them credit for. History is a testament to that fact. No matter how many times women were knocked down or told that they couldn’t, they came back even stronger. Watch The Suffragette and you may have a better idea of what I mean. Resilience is not only a wonderful female trait but it is also extremely valuable in the workplace as it helps women resist the urge to give up and keep pushing forward until they succeed.

Women Have Soft Skills

Compassion is an important aspect of the workplace that can often be overlooked. Research shows that women are great listeners, improving the morale of the workers around them by being welcoming and sociable, making others feel cared for. Showing compassion, without impeding the success of a business, and being good at collaborating are just a few of the skills that are essential to sustaining strong business relationships. A woman’s way of communicating is not necessarily better than a man’s, but it may be suited to a newer style of management.

Women Have to Plan Their Careers

Career planning is important for everyone but especially women because they generally have to negotiate more twists and turns on this road called life than men do. Once women have made their career plans, they generally feel less unprepared when life changes happen that perhaps put their career progression on hold for a while. Such as; deciding to relocate with a significant other, having a baby or suddenly needing to care for an elderly parent. Women are very good at building flexibility into their careers as planning in advance helps them to better accommodate and equip themselves for those changes, should life happen.

Women Self-Promote

Women are learning more and more to make sure that people inside and outside of their workplace know of their accomplishments. Self-promotion has never been easy for women and many women are uncomfortable with the concept. Nevertheless, women are learning that self-promotion in the workplace can often lead to greater success. There are now generations of women in business fighting the outdated misconception that ‘it’s a man’s world’.

Whether you agree, or not, the bottom line is that men and women’s behaviour in the workplace is fundamentally – and biologically – different. Contrary to popular belief, women don’t need to change themselves or compromise their natural tendencies, or behave more like men to be successful in the business world. Instead, the solution is exactly the opposite: by adding female voices into the professional world, companies are discovering new and diverse ways of thinking, original ways to adapt management styles and more creative approaches to communication and organisation. The most powerful thing a woman can do in order to succeed in the workplace, is simply embrace who she is and encourage the men and women around her.

In light of this topic, we also came across an article on the Calibre Office Furniture blog page on why mothers are an asset to the workplace. A very insightful and eye-opening blog indeed! What are some of your thoughts?! We would love to hear your views!