Women managers: a certain style

Women Managers: A Certain Style Though the number of women who own or manage businesses continues to grown, it's still possible to hear others express attitudes such as, "I wouldn't want to work for a woman," or, "Men just won't take orders from a woman." So how do female bosses meet this challenge?

"You do your homework," says Sharon Bowbus, international transportation manager for the Automotive Aftermarket Division of TRW Inc., in Cleveland. She says that 15 years ago, when she became one of the first women in her company to move into management in the traditionally male field of traffic and transportation, her style of "making requests and saying please and thank you" was mistaken for weakness by some of the truck drivers she supervised.

"As a woman, I had to prove I knew my stuff and that I wasn't going to be walked over," Bowlus says. "It was a lot like taking your car into a repair shop. If they think you don't know what you're talking about, they'll try to buffalo you."

Although she says such attitudes are less a problem today, she counsels women managers to take the time to understand the situations in which they are working. "I read a lot. I listen. I pay attention, and I'm not afraid to ask questions."

Bowlus also says that "how you talk to employees, how you phrase things" is important. She recommends that women bosses take classes in management and organizational dynamics to learn how to evaluate their own styles and to deal effectively with employees and other managers. "I don't give orders. I try to work with people," she says. "And I still say please and thank you."

"Most good managers today don't give orders," says Marsha Congdon, Oregon chief executive officer of U S West Communications. "They ask advice of the people who are actually going to be out there doing the job. It's a more consultative style.

"Ultimately, of course, the manager makes the decision and takes responsibility for it," Congdon continues. But she points out that most of today's employees want to be involved in the decision making, no matter what their sex or where they are in the organization. "Managers who don't recognize that and who mange in the old militaristic way will not be as successful."

Theo Schwartzkopf doesn't believe in giving orders either. President of her own truck dealership, Mid-America Ford Truck Sales in Tulsa, Okla., she stresses the importance of communicating clearly.

"Most people want to do their job, and they want to do it right, but they need a clear picture of what needs to be done," she says. "No one wants someone coming to them and saying, 'You've messed up.'"

Schwartzkopf has little patience with those who say men won't take direction or criticism from a woman. "I've found guys are the same as gals. We can all handle criticism if it's done constructively," she says. "But you must be constructive. You talk it over. You suggest ways to improve a situation and let them know you know they can do better. Then they can walk away feeling pretty good about themselves and the situation."

All three women agree that good management means doing yor homework, listening to your employees, and seeking to involve and motivate them rather than issuing orders. Gender really has nothing to do with it.

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