In meetings, while men joust and fret over their status, women get on with finding solutions. Women are more in tune with a greater range of feelings than men. Unlike men, women can juggle many tasks at once. Women are better at building networks than men.

Where do we get this stuff? Is it true? Is it based on scientific research? Or is it just corrective stereotyping that feels okay because it redresses millennia of male domination? I won’t lie and say I know loads of selfless, emotionally intelligent, multi-tasking males. I’m sure I could think of one. Given time. But equally, there are some obtuse, self-aggrandising, tunnel-visioned women out there, too.

The big question is whether Simons Group is on the right track in shooting for a 50-50 male-female staff by 2011. The answer has got to be yes. And that’s not to admit that the outrageous generalisations above are true (though we all know they kind of are). The industry needs a big influx of women just as much as it needed a third Labour term. Probably the best reason is that there are lots of able, educated, intelligent women in this land, and we’re still facing a management skills brown-out. Will they bring new, refreshing ways of doing things? Hard to say. They might just get ground into conformity by the vicissitudes of the industry. But is construction likely to be a bit more fun? Probably.

Is Simons likely to meet its target? There has been a modest, five per cent increase in female staff in the last two years, so they’re going to have to speed up. On the other hand, women in that company are gaining influence and profile, so it may reach a tipping point where suddenly Simons is a natural place for talented female graduates to gravitate towards. Best of luck to them.

Parting is such Sweet sorrow

This is my last issue with CM. I’m off to pursue other opportunities. But it has been a great four years and a real honour to get to know some of the excellent members of the CIOB. It’s obvious the Institute will continue to grow as a prestigious and indispensable force for professionalism in construction. Best of luck to you.

Source

Construction Manager