Comments

Cathy - Thanks you for these links. I love the videos with Seth and TP. I also loved the interview. What an extraordinary insightful intuitive man Seth is. Of course, hats off to TP always!

I love Bob Stone! He reminds me that I can be better still, personally and professionally. The Ethics Challenge is on the way to my doorsteps. I know it will be a great read.

I'll check out the other links later. Thanks again!

Posted by Judith Ellis at August 4, 2009 3:37 PM

“What an extraordinary insightful intuitive man Seth is.”

Agree Judith. Six months ago Seth was in England to deliver a key note speech and agreed to do a ‘Friend of Simplicity’ interview with me for my Blog whilst he was in England. It was totally unplanned and spontaneous but it was completed and published within one hour from making first contact with Seth. We exchanged three or four e mails in the early hours. He was brilliant, responsive and walked his own talk. I felt honoured that Seth could find the time to ‘talk’ with me in his busy schedule. This is the interview http://simplicityitk.blogspot.com/search?q=seth+godin

Posted by Trevor Gay at August 4, 2009 5:06 PM

"your professional and family life alike literally depend on"

Way too under hyped.

Posted by zorro at August 4, 2009 5:09 PM

Trevor - Yes, I read your interview with Seth Godin when you posted it on your blog. I believe you sent me a link. I'm not remembering it at the moment but he is usually very good.

Posted by Judith Ellis at August 4, 2009 5:50 PM

Mr. Godin's take on social networking is most excellent indeed..."fake networking" and scorecard driven. Helping people achieve their goals and adding value to the lives of others, who knew the internet actually had a useful purpose?

Posted by Dave Wheeler at August 4, 2009 8:10 PM

Oh dear. "Why women are better managers". I may be very much on my own here, especially given TP's strong views on the subject, but such sweeping "no doubt" generalisations are very unproductive in my view. MANY women are undoubtedly better managers than many men. But not ALL women are great managers and not ALL men are lousy ones. It doesn't do a complex topic any justice to be so simplistic and dogmatic about it. We don't overturn centuries of lazy and groundless stereotyping about the innate superiority of men by being equally lazy in the other direction. Plus, this sort of thing perpetuates difference and antipathy rather than encouraging common ground and mutuality.

It would be altogether better if we - at least here - could focus on the qualities that make excellent managers and leaders (which can be nurtured and developed by everyone) rather than attributing their ownership by definition to one group and thereby automatically excluding others. Great people make better managers, whatever their gender (or ethnicity, or sexual orientation, or age, or...). Can we just concentrate on what makes "great" - in anyone?

Posted by RobCH at August 5, 2009 1:53 AM

Rob,

You're not on your own. Some women make great managers, some men make great managers, and the key is understanding the qualities of both. I have learned a lot from women, starting with mom back in the early days. I have also learned a great deal from dad. They both had their strengths and opportunities in parenting. I see similarities/differences in the way men and women approach the business world too. These roles, of men and women, are evolving dramatically in our current day society; so fast that I doubt many can keep up with trends.

I, for one, believe that the sexual revolution and subsequent women moving into the work force in droves crashed the family unit; I'm still not sure if that was more about money or status. Right or wrong, the latchkey kid generations were coupled with gangs, drugs, their own sexual revolution, and a sense of being lost. I'm not placing any blame, but this change in culture led to huge issues with young children from the 70's on.

I also believe that men have had to step it up and become better fathers with women becoming successful, which is a good thing. I kinda side with Dr. Laura on the family unit thing, so call me traditional. Thanks RobCH.

Unfortunately for me, I see more women adopting the traits of men in the workforce than vice-versa. Many women turn into money grubbing greedy back-biting monsters over time, much like men.

Posted by The Joker at August 5, 2009 10:00 AM

Joker--I don't buy that argument. My parents both worked and instead of being "lost" I learned self-reliance and how to contribute to the family at a very early age. I'm now a good manager/leader. My friends, coworkers, and neighbors seem to have pretty cohesive, loving, caring, and functional "family units." Think deeper.

Posted by Red Island Rhodes at August 5, 2009 11:00 AM

Rob and Joker – Fascinating exchange.

I’ve got mixed feeling on this one. Speaking from personal experience I’ve had fabulous bosses of both genders and indeed the opposite in both genders. Last week I ran a training session for about 15 front line healthcare staff. They were all women ranging in age, I would guess from 20 to 60. I asked them whether they prefer a man or a woman as their boss. Those who expressed an opinion preferred males and said they found women far more difficult to work for. This is anecdotal and means absolutely nothing. Two days later I was running a team development session for 10 healthcare employees this time a mixture of men and women. The women in that group agreed that ‘bitchiness’ (their word not mine) was a bigger trait among women than men.

These examples don’t prove anything of course but I might just continue to ask the question at each of my training sessions out of interest.

Actually I agree with Rob that we should just analyse the skills and attributes rather than focus solely on gender.

Posted by Trevor Gay at August 5, 2009 11:23 AM

Red,

You don't have to buy anything, absolutely free. I'm not asking people to agree with me, just my observations. I'm glad you came from a good family with two family members working; you may be more the exception than the rule. We may have a much easier time finding good managers than good parents.

With regard to thinking deeper. Ok...here I go...thanks. I still believe that the absolute breakdown in values for family and corporations began somewhere, possibly in the home.

Posted by The Joker at August 5, 2009 2:20 PM

I can't wait for Suleman (Octomom) to go back to work in management.

Posted by The Joker at August 5, 2009 2:27 PM

Suppose it was the other way around? Suppose men were actually shown to be better managers? Could we discuss it in public?

I do find it very ironic that we are being told that women are better managers by a male management guru. What does he know? He's a man!

Its a bit like that old Groucho Marx line -

"I'd never join a club that would admit me as a member".

Posted by zorro at August 5, 2009 2:34 PM