Page 25 - EngineerIt August 2021

WOMEN IN ICT

Business needs the feminine touch

By Natasha Oothuizen, National Sales Director at Pinnacle ICT.

Women leaders offer plenty of exciting skills, bringing a more
diverse physical, mental and emotional experience to everyday
business conversations and situations.

lthough significant progress has been made in the past few years, it is clear that
women will continue to make strides in cementing a balance of representation
Awithin the ICT industry, with an abundance of research supporting the theory
that businesses are more profitable when they have more women in the C-suite.
When women become leaders, they contribute a prismatic set of skills
demonstrating passion, enthusiasm and a capability to take command of a situation,
where necessary.
Women can make bold and wise decisions as leaders and can use their skills to
make the team environment less authoritative and more cooperative, bringing a family-
like feel to the unit. This boosts teamwork across the organisation and helps implement Natasha Oothuizen
a new culture within the business.
From a leadership point of view, women tend to bring a softer, more collaborative
approach to real-life work issues. They are more prepared to listen to all sides and are “Ultimately, diversification is not
thus better at finding the middle ground in any given situation. about placing women ahead of men, but
It is important when bringing new employees from different generations on board rather about equality, seeing the value
to ensure they are made to feel like members of the team. Women are brilliant with the of individuals and understanding how,
kind of empathy required to ensure buy-in and to provide these people with a clear collectively, they can work together for
understanding of their role in achieving company objectives. the greater good of the organisation.
In fact, a meta-analysis, comparing male and female leaders, identified that While there remains quite a journey for
female leaders were more transformational. The analysis indicated that women tend most companies, I believe Pinnacle is
to demonstrate more contingent reward behaviour than the two-dimensional actions - doing well - we have nearly equal women
active and passive management - usually presented by male leadership. representation throughout the business,
Communication is known to be one of a woman’s strongest skills. Woman leaders with figures of 42.2%,” she notes.
will utilise this power to enhance meaningful conversations with employers, co-workers Of course, diversity in the workplace
and partners, thus creating an open communication stream that delivers a sense of should not merely prioritise women,
clarity and empathy. but should seek instead to have a fluid
While there is a perception that women are more emotional and less decisive combination of both genders throughout
than men, the fact is that women bring a more diverse physical, mental and emotional the organisation, she suggests.
experience to everyday conversations. This is because workplace gender
Women definitely bring a lot to the management role, as we are used to wearing diversity helps improve productivity,
multiple hats while undertaking what are essentially two different full-time jobs - namely creativity, performance and staff
as a business leader and as a primary caregiver. Remember too that in the family, retention and boosts collaboration
the mother is usually the mediator and the peacemaker, a role which also segues into throughout the business.
managing people within the organisation. That said, we must never
Women are more empathetic at taking on the emotional burden from others, while underestimate the impact of those
still providing leadership. It shouldn’t really come as a surprise to learn that the ability women who are currently acing their
to balance a career with the additional stress of raising a family, while also taking up role as leaders in the workplace. Not
the mantle of guidance, demonstrates how women are well-positioned to deliver quality only are they helping the company to
leadership. achieve its gender and diversity goals,
Nonetheless, women still need guidance and support, which is why mentoring is while bringing new thoughts, angles and
so important. I know from experience that demands on women managers are often strategies to the table, but they also set
massive and that they can struggle to strike a proper work-life balance. Under such a good example for those who follow.
circumstances, it clearly helps to have a role model you can learn from. For women just entering the workforce,
“Generally, women tend to put in double the effort of their male counterparts to having a role-model that can serve as
demonstrate their ability to achieve any level of seniority. Understanding this, Pinnacle an inspiration to them as newcomers in
encourages its staff to excel and identifies those women with the relevant strengths to the field is something that is more critical
help improve the business, in order to promote them.” than ever. n

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