“Eleven Tips on Getting More Efficiency Out of Women Employees: There’s no longer any question whether transit companies should hire women for jobs formerly held by men. The draft and manpower shortage has settled that point. The important things now are to select the most efficient women available and how to use them to the best advantage.
1. Pick young, married women….2. When you have to use older women, try to get ones who have worked outside the home at some time in their lives. Older women who have never contacted the public have a hard time adapting themselves and are inclined to be cantankerous and fussy. It’s always well to impress upon older women the importance of friendliness and courtesy.
9. Be tactful when issuing instructions or in making criticisms. Women are often sensitive; they can’t shrug off harsh words the way men do. Never ridicule a woman – it breaks her spirit and cuts off her efficiency.”
Recently, a colleague forwarded this Guide to Hiring Women. Obviously, I haven’t given you all 11 tips. Trust me, you’re not missing anything of substance. My first read was for the humor, the laughable suggestions that passed for useful tips. But then I started to wonder, just how far have women come, ‘baby?’
This question has become more pertinent as months disappeared while watching a woman, an African American male and a male of age campaign for the highest office in the nation. Before you stop reading, this commentary is NOT about politics. It is about stereotypes, biases and disrespect. In her reluctance to give up her hard-fought ground and concede to Obama, you could almost hear Hillary being described as ‘cantankerous and fussy’. Insults and comments have been hurled at her in public rallies that would never have been tolerated if the subject had been race. And when she ‘shrugged off the harsh words’ the way a man would, you could see the disappointment that they couldn’t ‘break her spirit’.
Of course, the response is typically that these negative reactions wouldn’t occur if it wasn’t this particular person – Hillary is just a polarizing figure. But in my heart of hearts, I don’t believe that’s the real answer. I think some of our most stereotypical behavior has been played out in public and dismissed as a personality conflict and worse yet, tolerable. If we discount the Queens of Ancient Egypt and Colonial England, worldwide, women began taking leadership roles following WW I. The countries of Sri Lanka, Argentina, India, Netherlands, United Kingdom and the Philippines, among others, have or have had female Presidents and Prime Ministers. There are 7 women who lead nations today. Equally enlightened countries to the U. S. have been acknowledging competence for centuries.
So what was the Guide’s publication date? 1943. I’ve been alive almost that long. “Have we come a long way, baby?” You bet, if you consider that the real opportunities appear to be a half a world away.
Filed under: Perspectives and Trends
