New York State University discovered that women's brains are organized in a way to help them perceive and remember emotions. This means they often can spot insincerity a mile away, read sales cues very effectively, and sense if their sales manager or client genuinely likes them or not. Women will join organizations more readily, perform much better, and post higher results if they feel accepted, respected, and liked by their superiors and associates.

Often referred to as 'holding grudges,' women generally experience emotions, positive or negative, more strongly than men do, and remember them much more easily. These emotional experiences stay more in the forefront of their minds, leading them to recall them whereas men more likely forget about them or subconsciously put them on the back burner. And, considering women are generally more verbal than men, women will talk about those past events and related emotions. They are not intentionally holding grudges or trying to annoy men by bringing them up. Once women lose trust in their boss or company, it is very hard for them to regain it.

 

Finally, Newcastle University in England determined that the amygdala, the portion of the brain responsible for interpreting emotions, responds differently in men than in women. Men interpret that the outside world or other people are responsible for their emotions, whereas women internalize emotions and feel responsible for them. As a result, it's easier for men to distance themselves from errors and rejection. Women often handle these situations better with more coaching, encouragement, and acknowledgment of their strengths. A study was conducted wherein same-sex groups of men and women were given a puzzle to solve. Unknown to them, the puzzle was unsolvable. Afterwards, the men reported the puzzle to be unworkable. The women said that they couldn't figure it out, internalizing their 'failure.'

Keeping these differences in mind when interviewing and managing men and women will help you develop stronger working relationships, and positively impact business results. Coming next month...a few primary behavioral differences that strongly affect recruiting and retention!

Everyone has heard that good communication is the basis of successful relationships. The world would be a different place if people simply asked more questions. When in doubt how to best manage or coach an employee, ask! Come out from behind your desk, sit next to them and face them with good eye contact (without staring them down), and say something like:

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