Comments

Great article. I hope more people consider this article's applicability to their own businesses. We need to start marketing more to women, invest in education in a radically new way and improve healthcare. Until we do, we will always be behind our overseas counterparts!

Posted by Chithra Durgam at April 19, 2006 11:52 AM

We've had our eye on this one for some time, eh? Tom, women-centered has been a recurring mantra of yours for as long as I can remember. It's one your 'duh' insights that attracted me to revisit you so often.

Recently, at a marketing conference in Dublin, I met a wonderful example of woman in action. Ruth McGovern is running the publishing division of NEWORLD ASSOCIATES (www.neworld.com), a strategic branding firm in Ireland.

Their new project? A beautifully designed magazine entitled WMB (Women Mean Business). Not your ordinary fashion rag, WMD is full of inspiring stories, interviews and features of successful businesswomen in Ireland. They also balance it with a male's perspective. Hat's off to them.

Posted by Tom O'Leary at April 19, 2006 2:00 PM

Finally the worlds catching up on reality.
In the knowledge society to come, I think it's obvious that muscles will mean less than the past.

I've heard from Korn Ferry's CEO (of Japan's) that the number of women managers and the value of shares correlate.
Hmmm, Our country might be in trouble.

Anyway thanks for sharing this Tom, great stuff.

Posted by Arata Mitsumatsu at April 19, 2006 8:34 PM

That's it. I think it's not even a surprise for anybody. The most difficult for most of men is to accept it! Even for me, on my second year of career!

It's so deep in mind (where does it came from? books?) that "boss" is equal to "male", that when you see woman as the number one person in the company, something inside you says "is there a mistake?"

Posted by Dmitry Linkov at April 20, 2006 6:40 AM

Sexism is rampant - like you mention discrimination somehow so fewer and fewer young men are attending university - and the longevity gap factor of men living almost 10 fewer years than women points to sexism in "health care".

Plus my mantra of USA women spending us into radical debt and feeding us into rad obesity - thanks so much!

Posted by Sean at April 20, 2006 8:40 AM

I have been in the business world for 20 years and shock horror but I envy the US But Maggie succeeded by outmaling the males !!!! Not sure that is what Tom is after....

Posted by Anna at April 20, 2006 12:07 PM

And yet, interestingly, women in Europe are monarchs (UK) and presidents (Ireland). Somehow, the same respect doesn't filter down into the private sector. I'd say that it's even more unbalanced in Ireland Anna, but I have no evidence to support that. The good old boy network still exists. I think the implementation of the transparent sheath meant to [un]cover private business in Ireland is being delayed by referendum. There are still some that don't really want to get real. I think that the new world cultural enlightenment is gaining momentum though.

Posted by Tom O'Leary at April 20, 2006 3:41 PM

I find in our industry, more and more, women are doing some great things. They just don't talk about how great they are, like many of the men do. To me their ascention in the marketplace is most heartening. Sincerely, Bob Meyer, Editor

Posted by Bob Meyer at April 20, 2006 9:53 PM

Maybe the really, really scary point is that 2 days after the initial posting, this story has attracted the practically least responses on the web site, and only a couple of them were from women! And this on a web site that champions the issue! We've got some way to go and/or a lot of folks are heading for a big shock.

Posted by MarkJF at April 21, 2006 2:36 AM

To Tom's O'Leary point - maybe the monarchs are because there was no choice - hereditary?

To Mark I do believe women are more afraid of technoology. At home it is often the men who do the photo editing etc. I am a woman blogger and I know I sometimes feel that the blogoshere is hard to enter if you are female especially as it comes from the technology background. Women tend to be more consensus building and indeed can be put off by some of the harsher comments...but it is changing and people like Heidi Miller, Donna Poppacosta etc are putting forward the womens voice. Some come on girls lets hear from you!

Posted by Anna at April 21, 2006 6:04 AM

But a culture in which matriarchal heredity is considered important seems to suggest that women, in that culture, are considered to be important contributors to the advancement of society - and as such, respected greatly by both men and women subjects.

Posted by Tom O'Leary at April 21, 2006 6:41 AM

Ah Tom but only if there isn't a son ? I would agree if it was your first born no matter what the gender. Are we not saying that men are more important by making a younger son inherit before the female child ?

Posted by Anna at April 21, 2006 10:17 AM

Reminds me of a line from The Godfather, when Luca Brazzi attended the wedding of Don Corleone's daughter. Luca requested a minute of the don's time to present him with a gift for the big day and said "Don Corleone, I am honored to have been invited to your daughters wedding. Please accept this gift as a small token of my appreciation...and may their first child be a masculine one..."

Posted by Tom O'Leary at April 24, 2006 9:05 AM