When it comes to successful business goals there’s always been this gender question. Are female owned businesses as successful at meeting business goals as their male counterparts based on rate of business failures and lower business performance?
Criticism points out this is an unfair comparison, since there’s a general tendency for each to have different goals. Men are more likely to pursue economic goals and women are more likely to pursue social goals. Each being successful, respectively.
When trying to understand this difference on a deeper level, there’s a limited amount of research to draw from. The most recent study mentioned is by a goal training organization looking at professionals world-wide engaged in goal performance learning. It suggests differences in tendencies when it comes to gender and business goals.
But, before focusing on gender differences there are other issues which also affect successful business goal outcome.
They include the attitudes that carry over from setting personal goals especially the New Year’s resolution type. The average failure rate is around 90%, so it doesn’t bode well for using the same mindset when it comes to business goals.
Prior business goal experience is also a consideration. For those who have been part of corporate goal team efforts, there’s an understanding of what it takes to implement a business goal. While prior experience may seem advantageous, once in a solopreneur business the team effort is lost and total business goal success shifts to an individual responsibility.
Further, business goals can be very challenging for those who enter online sales and marketing without any business experience. It becomes a steeper learning curve to set a mixture of business goals for marketing products or services, as well as, those behind the scenes goals of mastering the technology.
The Gender Breakdown
These are gender differences that have been noted when it comes to business goals:
Men visualize the final goal outcome better; women are less clear or certain about what they want to achieve.
Women care more about goals and set more ambitious goals; men are less emotionally attached but more focused on specific goals.
Men are better at treating goals with urgency and deadlines, women are more likely to procrastinate.
Women tend to spend more time planning and list making when it comes to goals; men opt for more immediate actions but may fail due to lack of planning.
Win or Draw?
While it might seem men are better at business goals, actually women come endowed with two of the best goal skills i.e., emotional vested interest and list making.
Women who are emotionally vested are more likely to have a “why” for wanting to accomplish business goals and be more willing to persevere through challenges. Some may see their businesses as children to be supported and nurtured. Others find the goals to be a source of financial security and personal fulfillment.
List making just might be written into the female DNA code. Whether it’s a shopping list, a to-do-list or a bucket list, women tend to more easily identify what’s relevant and what needs to be done. This is an imperative skill when it comes to planning out the strategies that turn business goals into business results.
Does one really have an advantage over the other? Sometimes yes; sometimes no.
However, in today’s fast changing business environment, both men and women need to be recognized for their business goal strengths.
When it comes to business goals, it’s more about what skills do you already have, what skills are you willing to learn and what skills are you willing to put into action to be successful in your business?
Let’s chat in the comments below if you think gender plays a role in business goal success.
Sources:
https://richardwiseman.wordpress.com/2011/12/28/how-to-keep-your-new-years-resolutions/#comments
http://digitalknowledge.babson.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1124&context=fer
http://www.webpronewsnl.com/the-goal-setting-differences-between-men-and-women-2010-12
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So interesting, while I know women and men are driven differently and treated differently… I hadn’t thought of it this way… interesting! Thanks for sharing this!
This article really got me thinking about goal choice and structure difference between sexes and genders. As you say the male goals structures tend toward the specific. Women’s tend to be more general. So there is that icky old success rate thing helping the clearly implemented goals. But then I thought, “With general goals women have opportunity to see options that might miss a male goal structure entirely!”
You’re so right Nancy. It’s also may explain why women take longer to decide; they are considering options and consequences.
After reading this I had a thought that a perfect partnership would be between a man and a woman because of the different strengths they each offer. When I was younger, I rarely made lists and developed an impeccable memory. The challenge there is that everything was in my head and made it hard for others to be in on what was going on. It goes with my style of flying solo too. As I’ve gotten older, I value community and collaboration and although women’s groups seem to be in vogue, I’ve always loved working with men. Each of us has our own strengths and the key is to optimize our strengths and call on others to with different skills to fill in the spaces. I’ve always gone for what I wanted and was quite confident I could do it…whatever my “it” of the moment was.
You bring up two interesting points, Beverley. The value of working with men and the early sense of self confidence. Unfortunately, not all men saw the value of what women have to offer, but that has changed considerably in that last decade or so, and seems to be changing more with the younger generations. Having self confidence early on is a blessing, since that is someything a lot of women struggle with.
interesting read… I think what is most important whatever your style is, is that you stick with it and not try to fit into someone else’s way of doing things. I think that is what creates struggles.
Lisa, your point is well taken about not fitting into someone else’s way of doing things, and independence is to be admired. It’s also what makes the Internet such a great opportunity, where personal styles can flourish without the constraints of the corporate business structures and attitudes.
In all my endeavors I always saw women getting things done. I think we learned to not just multitask but to be good planners so that all the components to any day are handled. We develop transferable skills that are useful in many arenas.
I agree whole-heartedly Roz. As women, we manage a greater arrary of different tasks and responsibilities. I think it’s natural for us to adapt them into our business experiences.
It never even occurred to me that there were gender differences in setting business goals, but it should not surprise me. There are so many other gender differences that this makes sense. This was a good post for me to think about, as I am a success coach for career women and female entrepreneurs. Thanks for writing this!
Glad you can add this insight to your coaching. It’s just not about the pay gap, but rather that the male model is the only model to use. Sorry fellas, but you don’t have all the answers.
What an interesting read, thank you. I often teach from a masculine / feminine ‘energy’ perspective too. The masculine energy is very much in the head space, outcome oriented and whereas the feminine is often in the body or intuitive and about the journey of creation. Both are wonderfully valuable and we all have pieces of both – there are so many more characteristics too. Thank you for sharing some of those and shining a light from a business perspective. I enjoyed reading.
Teresa, you’re so right. This is a big part of the male/female energy dynamics. Many times women have trouble because they try to imitate the male model and it just doesn’t work for them.
I totally agree, men and women have their strengths in the business world. I personally can keep a goal when there is a clear vision of what I want to help others with in my business. But, getting that clearer vision takes a little bit more time than I would like. It’s a work in progress. Thanks for sharing.
Another generality is that women take longer to decide, but I chalk that up to being more cautious and thinking through the consequences. In the end you have to do what’s right for you.
I do think gender makes a difference. When I started my first business, my flight school, people warned me that I couldn’t be successful in that male dominated niche – aviation. I ran a successful flight school for 20 years. But then, I’m just stubborn and love to say, Yes, I can. Watch me!
Good for you Beth! I’m sure you ran the best flight school is the area. It’s ridiculouos that men have a problem with capable women.