I came across this thought-provoking article on BNET the other day about the impact of gender on how men's brains and women's brains function--and the impact this has on how we work.

The article cites Sally Helgesen, co-author of The Female Vision: Women's Real Power at Work, who says that women are more skilled multitaskers while men are great at single-mindedly focusing on one thing for a long period of time. According to Helgesen, this tendency to multitask well is one reason women often over-commit.

Another difference:

One major difference between the sexes that really impacts managers is that women are (in general) more likely to speak up if they're unhappy about their immediate circumstances and environment, while men tend to suffer in silence. (Helgesen's term for it is "men will suck it up and tolerate a lot more for a lot longer.")

As a longtime workshifter, I've never really thought about the question of how gender might impact workshifting - who is likely to take to it, and what that means for teams of workshifters and those who manage them. But as more people shift out of office settings, it seems that figuring out some of this stuff will be very useful.

So I turn it to you. What's been your experience? Have you noticed any differences in work styles or approaches between the men and women you workshift with? If yes, what's your takeaway?


Photo Credit: OtisArchives2