I once overheard a discussion between the CEO and a middle manager at a company where I used to work. They were talking about how many days’ leave to grant an employee whose favourite Auntie had just died…

I can’t remember the details of the conversation, but I do remember that they agreed on 1 day’s leave – 1 MEASLY DAY to grieve the loss of a beloved and significant relative, who’d been very important in this person.

Then back to the grindstone, because after all perish the thought that we should allow time for personal issues when there’s a job to be done. 

I felt very sad. 

I believe it’s really important to celebrate the lives of the ones we’ve loved who’ve passed on, and it’s vital to employees’ mental health and wellbeing to be allowed proper time off to grieve.

I didn’t have a problem with the amount of time they’d allocated per se (that’s arbitrary, although it did seem rather brief to me personally). Rather it didn’t sit well with me that there was a total lack of involvement of the employee concerned. 

Wouldn’t it have been better to ask the employee how much time she needed?

Wouldn’t that create a spirit of trust and transparency within the organisation?

Every person is different and we all have a different response to death. We all need different support.

I’d like to mention that this company is not ‘uncaring’ per se either – It’s not a corporate company, rather it’s a compassionate 3rd sector organisation that does good work… However this ‘worker bee’ mentality is woven throughout our working culture in the west. 

The idea that employees are like minions who must be ‘kept in line’ and ‘give an inch they’ll take a mile’.

It’s very disempowering.

I shared this example because it illustrates perfectly the opposite approach to the concept I’ve come to call ‘Do Business Like a Woman’. To me it demonstrates just one of the problems with our current approach to business. 

The Problems With Traditional Style Business Today

‘Doing business like a woman’ has nothing to do with being a man or a woman, rather it’s about a specific way to approach business.

I love the business world, however I found myself feeling disillusioned with the way that most traditional style business was being conducted.

What I saw in the business world, the messages I got were:

• Hustle until you burn out
• If you want to get ahead you have to work hard, and then harder, all at the expense of your health and wellbeing.
• Stress is rife throughout many workplaces. As an old boss once said to me “well it’s just part of work isn’t it!” 
• Excessive competition – The winner takes all
• Profit at the expense of our communities, our health and our planet
• Businesses exploiting animals, people and natural resources because they think they don’t have a choice (or they simply don’t care enough to explore how things could be done differently).

All these things bothered me… A lot (read: really, really upset me), so I wanted to find that ‘alternative’ way. 

At the same time I’d be learning all about masculine and feminine energy in dating and relationships – I learned that when two people are both trying to be the masculine energy partner in a relationship you’ll have a dominance of masculine energy. This leads to competition, conflict and strife.

Hardly the makings of a great relationship! 

It was so fascinating to me and as I applied what I learned I saw how balancing the masculine and feminine energies within a relationship could transform it from toxic to peaceful and supportive. I saw the men reclaim their masculinity and the women enjoy being cherished and romanced. 

It was like magic!

That’s when it hit me… Why not apply this in business too?

The problems we’re having in business are the same – Competition and conflict at the expense of both parties, strife and a lack of caring…

It was so obvious to me that masculine energy is the predominant energy we’ve been using in business, to the detriment of the feminine, and I believe that’s why we’re facing many of the problems we have today in business.

A New Way to Do Business

Imagine if instead of competition and conflict there was support, cooperation and caring.

Imagine if we slowed down, learned to ‘listen’ more and tapped into our ‘inner knowing’ before making a business decision or taking action.

These are feminine energy qualities. 

Imagine if we found solutions that worked for everyone involved and made the world a better place!

Imagine if work didn’t have to mean stress. 

A Quick Overview of Masculine and Feminine Energy

To fully grasp what it means to Do Business Like a Woman, you need to first understand the differences between masculine and feminine energy.

They’re not so obvious as you might think.

For example it’s perfectly possible for a man to operate mostly out of feminine energy, or for a woman to operate mostly out of masculine energy. Incidentally the problems in relationships usually occur because both partners are competing for the ‘masculine energy role‘ and no-one is holding the feminine energy.

Masculine energy is about doing, thinking, accomplishments, forward movement, progress, action taking, competition. It’s very left brain, logical. It will get stuff done and it will explain stuff.

Feminine energy is about being, feeling, process, standing still, intuition, inclusion, collaboration, creativity. It’s right brain and it’s wise. It will watch and listen.

Neither type of energy is ‘bad’ or ‘wrong’ and both types are needed for life, relationships and business.

The problems occur when the two types of energy get out of balance for long periods of time.

This is very evident for us to see in the world of business today – Just look at some of the most damaging corporations or simply take a gander at Donald Trump to see what masculine energy gone awry looks like! 

The Feminine Has Been Ridiculed and Suppressed for Too Long! 

Why is it that we ridicule the feminine so?

Women do it just as much as men, although I intend to change that.

Somehow being soft and intuitive got linked to being weak.

If there’s one thing I know it’s that the feminine is not weak! She’s powerful beyond measure. Perhaps that’s why she’s been thwarted. 

I believe it stems from an inherent mistrust of feminine power, possibly dating back to when the church came into power, and many powerful feminine women were burnt at stake as witches.

Before that time there were more ‘High Priestesses’ in the world. 

The feminine was revered and wise women were sought after.

But then something went wrong.

It’s Time to Reclaim Our Heritage – It’s Time to Welcome The Feminine Back

We can fix it now.

What will it take to reconnect to the feminine power we each have inside of us, to heal our world and to change the way we do business forever?

I believe it starts with us women. We have to go first on this…

The Dalai Lama said that the western women will save the world. I believe this is what he meant.

We need to take ourselves seriously, in business and in every area of our lives. Because if we don’t no-one else will!

It doesn’t come easily, it’s daily practice in a world trained to discount the feminine ways. 

Too long have we been willing to play the dumb little girl, but now it’s time to become the Queen.

It starts with YOU. Because if not you then who?

We’re all guilty of saying “but who am I to…”

You may not feel like a Queen, yet. You may not be aware yet of your own feminine power, but it’s there within you, I promise you. It’s waiting to be called forth.

When we women are willing to start ‘owning’ our feminine power in business, without competing with our men, that’s when the transformation begins.

What It Means to ‘Do Business Like a Woman’

Doing Business Like a Woman is not sexist!

In fact it’s the opposite.

I love men and there’s nothing that makes me cringe more than seeing a woman emasculating a man. It happens all too often these days because we women have been taught that to be successful we must be like men and compete with them.

It’s a fallacy! 

What I take a stand for is re-balancing the masculine and feminine energies within business, to benefit us all. 

What if we set the intention to be loving and supportive towards our colleagues no matter what! What if we encouraged each other to practice self care? What if we mediated at the start of every meeting? (OK, that one’s a bit of a stretch, but a little breathing exercise certainly wouldn’t do any harm!)

That’s the gift that we can give the business world today. 

I’d love to hear your thoughts on what ‘Do Business Like a Woman’ means to you. Leave your comments in the comments section below.