Having received some more funding to run our 3 day management and leadership courses for women in construction I spent much of my time this week ringing round employers to offer them the available placements. This experience is usually peppered with those who are enthusiastic; those who are sure you are trying to con them and of course those that couldn’t care less and are simply waiting for the home bell to ring. Occasionally though I get another response which sounds something like this
“why should women get separate training, we just puts ours in with the men, they are a robust lot and seem to be just fine”
In itself it’s not a wrong statement, back in the days when I worked on site I appeared to be fine, in fact I would have told you so and had you offered me training specifically for women I would have probably turned it down, which might seem a little odd given my current profession.
But it’s not that odd when you think about it, life on site can be quite hard the long hours, pressure to meet completion dates, awful weather and early starts. On top of all of that as a woman you are usually an oddity which means you have to prove yourself that bit more, show that you are capable and as I saw it - show that you can do all this without needing additional help.
It’s a ridiculous notion now that I look back on it but I’m only human and I never said that I wasn’t flawed.
Because women in male dominated professions do need a little bit of extra help to negotiate the barriers placed in front of them, and this shouldn’t be seen as a weakness or a laughing point because there are huge benefits to both the individual and the company.
1. Increasing Confidence – Of course every individual is different but women as a group tend to have less self confidence then men. Don’t get this confused with ability women can negotiate a tender along with the best of them but when it comes to their own promotions a different story can be told. Good training will help women recognise how to put systems in place to overcome this which is good for them. As an employer its good for you as research has shown more women at senior level increases profits.
2. Managing Stereotypes – For example seeing women on site can be a difficult notion to get your head around, and that’s not surprising I’ve worked with men who have never in a 40year career worked with a woman on a building site. For them it was very difficult to see me as competent because they had to get over me being a woman first. Over time I would usually prove myself but there is something a little draining about being chartered and still having to always start from scratch, good training discusses ways of coping and provides best practice examples.
3. Recognising patterns – It never fails to surprise me how often the most damaging behaviours to individuals careers come from good intentions. Women are often given the “softer jobs” in the office or site cabin away from the “dangerous sites”. Which is a huge problem as for most women this is why they went into construction, those “dangerous sites” are also exciting, vibrant playgrounds of knowledge* and keeping women away from them is often a very frustrating experience, it also ensures that career progression is stalled meaning even less women are making it to those all important senior positions. By recognising patterns of behaviour women can take steps to prevent it happening again. *note NEVER play on a building site!
4. Understanding workplace politics – Women on the whole behave less politically than men, this means that they are less likely to be noticed for their ability and therefore less likely to be lined up for promotion. By explaining the rules of workplace politics, the importance of networking and understanding how to work towards your employers aims women can move forward in leaps and bounds.
5. Learning how to treat a crisis – Unfortunately there are times when people don’t behave as well as they should and even more unfortunately people who like to misbehave usually like a target that is different from the group norm. This means that women can face a higher level of workplace conflict when working in construction. Good training will show women how to deal with these issues factoring in the makeup of their organisation so that they can chose solutions that are best for them.
That’s just five reasons and I havent event touched on how to how to maximise recognition for soft skills management, how to use your wardrobe to convey professionalism and the networking benefits of meeting like minded individuals.
So in conclusion – yes women in construction do need good management training designed specifically for them, or at least they do if you want to get the most out of them.
I would of course as always love to hear your views,
Chrissi x
Hi Chrissi
ReplyDeleteI'm really pleased to hear you have organised this training. I come across similar issues in facilities management - it's not that women have different capabilities, but we do learn in different ways, just as we network differently to men. Our Women in FM group attracts some criticism, but those who take the time to engage with us always give us great feedback - we just take a different approach to running events and training, and aim to give our members (men and women!) what they need.
I look forward to hearing other people's views..
Best, Liz
Chrissi,
ReplyDeleteThis is a great article, and a subject I find personally frustrating. I have worked in construction since 1987, and have covered all positions from labour to fabricator to installer to designer to manager and in all those times and in all those positions I have interacted with females in the construction industry with respect and equality.
I have worked both for and with great construction professionals and have never had an issue whether they were male or female, indeed in many cases I have preferred the female seniority as it seems to come without an overdose of testosterone and a desire to see who has the larger apendage (figuratively speaking of course).
And yet, your article reflects the cold sad truth of our industry.
Females I have worked with have often said to me 'I will not be accepted because I am a woman in a mans world', and every time I have repeated that it makes absolutely no difference! This opinion is obviously my own and is not shared by many. My opinion is formed on experience and on the honest belief that it is true!
I was told by a friend how they once sent in their CV for a project manager position only to be advised by the company that they do not employ women project managers!
Then recently another friend recalled to me how she encountered pitiful treatment, where she was asked to share the site male welfare facilities as they were too busy to build a separate toilet, and even told by one of her colleagues how she should be honoured to be his secretary, she was his manager!!!
Of course I have no doubt there will be many opinions about how to deal with individuals like this, and it is my hope that they are a dying minority, but exist they do, and for me the issue needs a new thinking from all management levels to accept equality was a revolution which happened many years ago and should be embraced, and yet there is still a dark force refusing to accept it.
It is sad to think that women should feel as though they are fighting harder to prove a point, and it is sad that they feel they need special training to overcome the male syndrome. I just hope that one day people will learn to respect each other for who they are and what they do and not for how they look or which toilet they use.
Chrissi,
ReplyDeleteAs a female construction student I agree with you on this topic as I have been in such situations whilst on industrial placement.
I believe this is something that should be taught at student level as well as professional level. Providing students with the ability to analyse, adapt and react when placed in such situations, will prepare us for both our industrial placements and professional working life. Many students enter their degree programmes direct from school, their first taste of the construction industry is through industrial placements and therefore often enough have never been placed in such situations of being defined as ‘the eye candy’ or having to stand your ground when in a confrontational situation.
When on placement I found many of my male colleagues to be very polite, accepting and courteous, however whenever confrontation occurred (which wasn’t very often) I was shocked by the level of aggression within the discussion. I found that my initial shock from the aggression came across as being unable to ‘compete’ and ended up being on the back foot in these situations. The ability to adapt and take control of such scenarios should be taught to female students, (taking note that the age of student on placement would be 20 years if they started straight from school) and not left to ‘it’ll come with experience’. A little bit of guidance I feel would be helpful for these situations.
I like the arguments that you put in pace here in your article, and I agree with them. There will always be difficulty for women who work in a masculine-dominant environment, and giving them specialized management training does not defeat the purpose of gender equality. Rather, it helps women bridge the gaps that are very common in the said environment.
ReplyDeleteChristian Pearson @ LWVofSouthWestNassau.org