Men are from mars Women are from Venus” but what happens when both land on planet “office?

By Neeti Singh

“Men are from mars, women are from Venus”, that’s the punch line we are familiar with. But what if both land on a common planet known as the “WORKPLACE”! Even though more women have entered the workforce over the years and have risen in the ranks, men and women can be just as different in the professional world as they are in their personal lives.

Let us discover how differently two professionals handle common office matters by comparing Senior Vendor Managers of XYZ Ltd, Barkha and Deepak.

Prioritize / Plan

First thing Barkha thought of doing as soon as she entered her office lobby on Monday morning was to keep her purse at her desk, carry her comb and blush for a quick “touch up.”

She invested 12 mins in the restroom and then while returning, her colleague Rachana called her mid-way to join her for a cup of coffee. With 15 mins spent there she returned to her desk to start working only after making an initial call to her husband to inform him that she had reached safely. Soon, Barkha’s boss called her and Deepak for a departmental planning & review meeting. Barkha noticed that Deepak was prepared with his to-do list, with complete planning for the present week and job status for the previous week.

But Barkha wasn’t, thanks to the coffee and calls. She realized that she should be first focusing on making daily to-do lists to avoid delays in setting the day’s agendas.

The first fifteen minutes on entering work are usually free and a great time to invest in the day’s agenda.

Oops… can’t say No!!!

On Wednesday, Barkha who was already pre-occupied with her work was asked by her boss to handle her colleague’s Deepak’s workload because Deepak was to go on leave. She said yes without thinking only to end up working late every day of the week.

Many women bring their nurturing side to work and end up taking on too many tasks. While being a team player and feeling needed is gratifying, too many duties will result in failure.

I am Independent…!!!!

It is observed that women are less likely than men to seek mentors in the workplace for leadership and managerial guidance. Mentorship is key to high level achievement and is a strategic career move.

Curiosity

Barkha got a call from Rachna saying that there is someone new who is going to join her team soon. Barkha was immediately interested in knowing more about the person, about the role and designation, etc.

Deepak on the other hand was focused on his work.

These light comparisons are not intended to pit one gender against the other, but more to compare how true is the saying, “Men are from Mars and women are from Venus!”