Recent studies have shed new light on the attitudes women bring to the workplace and on the value of women as employees. Looking at the facts may prompt you to rethink your motivational strategy.

WHY PAY SPECIAL ATTENTION TO WOMEN EMPLOYEES?

There are two reasons why it's imperative that your motivational programs succeed among women:

• Women make good managers. A recent five-year study of 1,727 male and 755 female managers from 459 organizations found that women topped men in such areas as setting goals, planning, communication, teamwork, and facilitating change. The study, by Lawrence A. Pfaff and Associates, reported that in traditionally male areas, such as decisiveness, the sexes were dead even.
  
  
• Women managers are essential to business success. Having women managers in important positions may once have been considered "affirmative action"; now it is simply good business. With today's emphasis on relationship-based marketing, it takes a diversified work force to fully capitalize on the growing power of women consumers. The earnings and buying power of women are rising. Women account for more than 52 percent of new-car purchases, and are the fastest growing segment of new and used car buyers today, according to a 2006 survey by Road & Travel Magazine. Some 43 percent of all business travelers are women, and 75 percent of all travel decisions are made by women (for their families, their businesses, and themselves), according to The TrendSight Group, a gender marketing consultant. And 82 percent of meeting planners are female, according to the 2005 Meetings Market Report, published by Meetings Media. Female consumers are being targeted in many other markets, as well. It is critical to a company's competitiveness that women be a part of a its success strategy and be involved in every phase of corporate decision making.
  

Women Employees Differ from Males

Other research has produced even more disturbing, though controversial, assertions about how women may be counter-motivated in the workplace. For example, in her book, Talking from 9 to 5, Deborah Tannen argues that gender affects the way women communicate in ways that often stifle their effectiveness in the workplace. Proponents of "genderspeak" theories suggest that women's contributions are often lost or overlooked because women are more reticent than men about offering forceful opinions.

On a positive note, there are some characteristics women bring to the job that can improve workplace harmony and productivity. For instance, many experts contend that women are generally more inclusive than men. They solicit the opinions of others more readily, and they're more consensus-minded in their decision making.

Steps to Take

What does all this mean in practical terms? Basically, that you shouldn't construct a corporate employee-motivation strategy without considering the diversity of your work force. Here are some suggestions:

Examine your current incentive programs. If your company has a significant percentage of women in its workforce, particularly in sales, programs structured to promote group problem solving and team achievement might be more effective than the traditional each-against-all contests that are a mainstay of sales force incentive programs.

Make sure women play a role in designing incentive programs. It's simple: Ask your women employees how they would make their work experiences more productive and rewarding.

Know what appeals to women in an incentive award. Make sure women feel you have kept them in mind with your award selections. With all the incentive options out there, it shouldn't be difficult to find many that are meaningful to women. Again, it's best to get direct input by including women in your program planning.

Place an emphasis on recognition. Perhaps because they've felt slighted in the past, women appear to respond strongly to meaningful recognition from top management. Consider awards that let them display their accomplishments publicly.

Acknowledge achievement. Perceptions about a glass ceiling persist in many organizations. Make sure the women in your organization know their path to success. What types of achievements are most valued? What is the reward for achieving them?

Engage in high-performance work practices. Go beyond short-term programs, and think of new ways to make the workplace more rewarding. Such things as flextime, family-friendly policies, and diversity committees are not just passing fads. They're creative ways of making the workplace more productive in an era of stagnant wages, longer hours, and increased stress.

Consider the impact of word of mouth. Studies indicate that women are far more likely than men to share their experiences, good or bad, with colleagues and friends. That makes women excellent recruiters and mobilizers, provided they're on your team. But, if they don't buy into your company or its objectives, they can be formidable detractors.

Books

EVEolution: The Eight Truths of Marketing to Women , by Faith Popcorn and Lys Marigold, offers an effective way to know and tap into the lucrative female market. Popcorn believes attracting and engaging the lifelong customer requires rethinking traditional marketing methods using her eight "truths" of marketing to women. These include making your brand a contributing and worthwhile member of the community you create; acknowledging that women lead multiple lives simultaneously--marketing to only one at a time is limiting for you and annoying for them; and remembering to be subtle--women think laterally and notice things peripherally. $24.95, available through Amazon.com $19.96.

The Managing Diversity Survival Guide, by Lee Gardenswartz and Anita Rowe, includes checklists and worksheets designed to help managers interview, coach, and communicate with employees in a diverse workplace. 200 pp. $35. Irwin Professional Publishing. Call 800-634-3966; fax 800-926-9495.

Managing Diversity, also by Gardenswartz and Rowe, is a more in-depth work than the guide listed above. Aimed at eliminating high turnover, it uses a similar approach to assist in recruiting, retaining, and mentoring a diverse work force. 446 pp. $95. Irwin Professional Publishing. Call 800-634-3966; fax 800-926-9495.

Women in the Workplace is part of Irwin's Managing Diversity Series. It consists of a leader's guide and a participant's workbook aimed at improving cross-gender communication. Guide 75 pp. $75. Workbook 32 pp. $10 or $80 for a pack of 10. Irwin Professional Publishing. Call 800-634-3966; fax 800-926-9495.

Talking from 9 to 5, by Deborah Tannen, explores how gender-based differences in communication style influence the workplace effectiveness of women. 368 pp. $12.50. Avon Books. Call 800-223-0690.

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