Note from Susan

Happy Fall!

I’ve noticed a definite increase in energy levels and activity in my conversations with women this month. Maybe it’s relief from summer heat, maybe a welcome change in school routine, maybe just feeling energized as the year end approaches. Regardless of the catalyst, I’m enjoying the engagement and the excitement I’m observing in women I work with.

I, too, am excited because I’ve been doing more research into the “why’s” of gender differences. You’ll see the results reflected in my writings, such as this month’s newsletter. I take a simple brain difference between male and female brains and look at how it shows up in our everyday lives, at home and at work. I hope you’ll both laugh and learn from the story.

All of this research gets incorporated in my work with women in the virtual program, Creating Your Career Opportunities™. The next program starts December 3. If you’d like more information or to speak with me about it, please email me at seminars@WomenLeadingTogether.com

Warm Regards,

Susan

Feature Article

Male and Female Brains: Waffles and Spaghetti

Recently during one of my Creating Your Career Opportunities™ workshops I asked the women to share their “aha” moment from the work we had done. One woman replied, “It’s not personal. I’ve spent years in business agonizing and being concerned with decisions and disagreements that didn’t go my way, only to now realize – it’s not personal.”

Business decisions can sometimes feel personal to us, though. Why?

Scientists have discovered as many as 100 ways that male and female brains are different. A 2014 Psychology Today article “Brain Differences Between Genders” states that male brains use 7 times more gray matter – the part of the brain that is localized, information and action oriented. Female brains use 10 times more white matter – the networking grid in the brain that connects all other processing centers.

The implication is that men can be deeply focused on one thing at a time, whereas women take in more of what is going on around them. Everything is related. My favorite analogy is the one used by Bill and Pam Farrel in their book by a similar title. Men’s brains are like waffles, women’s like spaghetti. Each square of the waffle has only one thing in it and he can only be in one square at a time. To women, the each strand of spaghetti is connected to everything else.

For Us, Everything is Connected.

I’ll tell you a personal experience that drives this point home. It happened before my husband and I were married, but after we had been dating a long time (and had planned on getting married). It was a Sunday and Mike said to me, “My tv has gone out. I think I’ll go get another tv today.”

I was stunned. Another tv? I got all emotional and blurted out, “I thought we were getting married!”

He looked at me like I had just grown wings. “What are you talking about?”

“You said you’re going to get a new tv. Why would you do that if we’re getting married?”

Still perplexed, he responded, “Because I want to watch the game today and my tv is broken.”

My very logical (to a woman) response was, “If we’re getting married you don’t need a tv because we have six between us now.”

The lightbulb came on for him, he smiled, and said, “We are getting married. I just want to watch the game today in my living room.”

To me the number of tv’s we owned was related to what we would need when we were married (spaghetti). To Mike, it was one topic and it was about the tv (the waffle square that had “tv” in it).

Our misinterpretation of this difference can distract us in business. If we see men in conflict over a business issue, we can’t understand how they can then walk out of the room talking about going fishing together. Often, to women, a business decision or disagreement can linger on because we feel like it’s a reflection on us or a personal attack.

It’s not personal. If you find yourself upset at someone’s actions or disagreement, take a moment to step back and remind yourself, most of the time it’s not personal. Let it go.

Resource Corner

The Female Brain by Louann Brizendine, M.D.; This research-based book looks at how female brains develop and change over various stages of life and how hormones affect changes in the brain. She offers practical insight as to how our brain structure impacts our every day life. An interesting read.

About Susan

Susan Hodge created Women Leading Together in order to provide seminars, workshops, and coaching circles to help career women move forward to create fulfilling careers. Visit our website at www.WomenLeadingTogether.com.

Copyright © 2015 Women Leading Together, LLC

Events

Creating Your Career Opportunities Virtual Program Starting December 3, 2015.

Coming soon: European time zone schedule for Creating Your Career Opportunities

Coming soon: European time zone schedule for Creating Your Career Opportunities

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