MANAGING DIVERSITY:
MALE AND FEMALE BRAIN DIFFERENCES

Differences in male and female brain circuitry, hormones and functioning can sometimes be a workplace challenge. Being conscious of the differences leads to a corporate culture that harnesses these differing strengths.

Technology companies have challenges attracting and retaining women. Harvard Business Review reports that 52% of women in technical positions leave their positions, and often the profession. The differences between how men and women perceive and process can cause misunderstanding and tension. How do we bring out the best of both genders in the workplace?

Male and female brains have different brain circuitry and functions. These differences are biological and have supported the survival of the species for eons, yet are often unrecognized gifts and stressors. In today’s workplace, awareness of the differing strengths can improve how we communicate and relate to both male and female team members.

The first step in managing the diversity requires understanding some of the ways male and female brains differ biologically and functionally.

Perception
From birth, male and females exhibit different environmental scanning abilities--females spend more time scanning the faces around them while males focus on their environment. A woman’s careful scanning of another’s face sees micro-expressions apparent in the facial muscles, mouth, rate and depth of breathing. Micro-expressions are revealed for a split second but are important to genuinely communicate and understand each other. Research shows that men are not as adept at reading facial expressions and emotional nuance.

This ability also enables women to mimic and feel the feeling that the other person is experiencing through a process called “mirroring.” Women, it turns out, have special neurons which enable them to be human emotion detectors. Brain scans show that women can more effectively mirror the feelings of another person than men typically can.

Intuition
A woman senses information around her based on her gut feelings. She can sense when a colleague is depressed, a boss is feeling overwhelmed, or a stressful and tense environment is developing in a team meeting. Brain scan studies indicate that the female brain has larger areas of sensitivity to track gut feelings, specifically the insula and anterior cingulated cortex. Scientists conclude that because the female brain is gifted at quickly assessing the thoughts, beliefs and intentions of others based on the smallest hints, intuitive gut feelings and hunches--women’s intuition--is grounded in biology.

Feelings
For men, feelings do not trigger gut sensations but instead increase rational thought. The typical male brain reaction to emotion is to avoid it. Scientists have found that it usually takes the male brain longer to decode and process emotions. When a woman communicates to a man how she feels, he feels the internal pressure to do something or fix something.

Communication goals
Non verbal communication does not always mean the same thing between men and women. One example is that men nod their heads when they agree. Women nod their heads to say, “I’m listening… tell me more.”

Men and women have different communication goals, according to Deborah Tannen, a leading researcher in male and female communication.

The goal, according to Tannen’s research, for most men in interpersonal communication is to establish status, hierarchy and power by demonstrating more knowledge, more information or experience. Tannen gives an example she observed when one woman, Linda, and several male colleagues were discussing a recent football game. The men were discussing the facts and details of the football game. Each man in the conversation was trying to outdo the other with his knowledge of the teams and players. When Linda tried to make some comments about the game, the men ignored her and continued talking among themselves. Linda tried again with the same result. Finally Linda walked away in frustration and felt excluded from the “good old boys club.” This real life example illustrates how most women and men have differing communication goals that Tannen’s studies derived from studying small children, are hard wired from birth.

For most women, the primary communication goal is to create intimacy and connection by establishing rapport, where everyone in the conversation is viewed as an equal.
Men tend to view conversation as an opportunity to spar with each other creating a hierarchy of power; women view conversation as an opportunity to share with one another to create a web of relationships and connections.

Processing anger and stress
Men and women’s stress and anger responses differ, as well, which connects directly to differences in the male and female brain.  It’s scientifically accepted that the amygdale is the brain center for fear, anger, and aggression, and it is physically larger in men than women, whereas the anger, fear, and aggression control center—the prefrontal cortex—is relatively larger in women. While men express anger immediately and it is often the primary response to stress, the female brain is hard wired to reflect on anger before expressing it out of fear and anticipation of retaliation. What’s more, the female brain has a strong aversion to conflict due to the fear of making the other person angry and potentially losing the relationship. Typically, the net effect of this biological difference is that a woman will not express her anger in situations where there is a chance of male retaliation.

When we reflect about men’s and women’s changing roles in the last 40 years or so, and the biological differences of “hunters” and “gatherers”, there is little surprise that men and women would be wired so differently. 

A landmark UCLA study found that women respond to stress with a cascade of brain chemicals including oxytocin which buffer the “fight or flight” response and instead encourages her to “tend and befriend.” This calming response does not occur in men, because testosterone, which men produce in high levels when under stress, seems to reduce the effects of oxytocin. Estrogen seems to enhance the “tend and befriend” reflex..

Under stress men focus--go into “the cave”--and can become agitated and blaming of others. Under stress women expand—they need to talk and can become overwhelmed, needing more reassurance and may doubt themselves.

Men tend to look for the most linear straight approach. Women tend to see things as much more interconnected and therefore do not get right to the point because they see many points. PET scan studies of how men and women process information differently shows that while they perform equally well, women use areas on the right and left side, while men use only areas on the left side.  These tendencies can be overridden, so “tend to” does not mean all men nor all women. 

Five strategies for managing differences
The research studies cited are scientifically recognizable patters of behavior in men and women; however there are always exceptions to patterns. The following suggestions can be helpful in managing the possible differences due to gender on a team.

1. Woman to woman mentoring.  One successful approach, used by Intel, is to create a woman to woman networking program which pairs more senior women with more junior female employees for mentoring guidance. The mentor provides advice on career paths, helps navigate organizational politics, acts as a sounding board about office politics, prevents isolation at work, and helps create a culture that better supports gender diversity.
2. Recognize empathy vs. advice. Often when a female colleague discusses a problem with a male colleague, she is seeking empathy (someone to listen to her) rather than looking for a solution to her problems. For men, remember that the primary goal for women in communication is to make a connection. Women feel connected to others when they feel their feelings are acknowledged and genuinely understood. For women, remember that male colleagues are looking for bottom line results. Men want solutions to problems, not empathy from you.
3. Anger management. Anger is one of the primary male reactions to stress. However, when male managers lose their temper and blow up at work, it can damage their relationships with female colleagues and look unprofessional to supervisors. For men, become mindful of when stress is escalating and practice stress reduction strategies that can help you manage your stress differently. For women, when male colleagues express their anger, it is important to realize that, yes, male anger does scare you. This is part of the hard wiring of the female brain at work. After the angry incident, get out of the situation as soon as you can and go to a quiet place, take a few deep breaths, and remember that the display you witnessed is most likely your male colleague’s reaction to stress.
4. Working through problems. When men hear women talk about their problems, men often hear “whining” and “complaining.” Men see this as counterproductive, because men want to solve problems. For women, when faced with difficult emotional problems at work, it is better to discuss feelings with a trusted female colleague. For men, recognize that withdrawing and not addressing conflict with work colleagues is usually perceived as a sign of emotional immaturity and a lack of social awareness. It is important to communicate openly with male and female colleagues at work.
5. Creating a healthy system. People are affected by the quality of interactions going on around them. By paying attention to and sensitively sharing knowledge of gender differences with your co-workers, you can build a work environment that is an important step closer to achieving the synergy of highly effective teams.

 

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