Gender Difference-Tell me about your team.
Last night at dinner Craig asked me to tell him about my new team.
I told him the name of each member of my team and something important about them, for example, one has a 10 year old boy who is in the Boy Scouts, one has an Australian Accent and runs marathons! I went through all the members on the team, and then told him I was excited to have a developer counterpart again on the job.
Craig laughed and asked why I told him all of this personal stuff when all he wanted to know was what the team does. Do we make software, or what? I then told him what I work on and what the team works on to answer the question, but I still think the most important part is what I told him first. What people are on the team and who are they really as humans? That's a vital part.
I told him the name of each member of my team and something important about them, for example, one has a 10 year old boy who is in the Boy Scouts, one has an Australian Accent and runs marathons! I went through all the members on the team, and then told him I was excited to have a developer counterpart again on the job.
Craig laughed and asked why I told him all of this personal stuff when all he wanted to know was what the team does. Do we make software, or what? I then told him what I work on and what the team works on to answer the question, but I still think the most important part is what I told him first. What people are on the team and who are they really as humans? That's a vital part.
It definitely shows something I've been aware of for some time now: Men are usually wired to focus on accomplishment and action, whereas women are usually wired to focus on social interaction. This is actually a good thing, as we need both, and the back and forth helps provide an equilibrium.
Reply to this
I think it also has to do with how the team interacts.
Generally, in my limited experience, a team that can get on professionally and personally work together better then a team of professionals. It's a fine line though, occasionally the lines can get blurred.
On a side note, I miss my Aussie accent. Got a Aussie/English/American accent now, a real mess.
Aussie, Aussie, Aussie.
Reply to this
I speak Scottish as well as Aussie, but I can't understand a word said in Kiwi it seems. I was denied service in New Zealand due to my thick American accent which I'm told sounds like a very whiny surfer by the certified "Lord of the Letter T" otherwise known as the enforcer of pronouncing where I live See-ah-TT-al and correcting me if I ever welcome guest to See-add-ul. I think this far north we are certified honorary Candians according to some.
Reply to this
Great story!! Thanks for illustrating gender differences so clearly.
Reply to this
these kind of stories, show why every teams needs a women.
Reply to this