Corporate Life: Men and women together.
The discussion of what it means to be male and female in the church is part of a broader discussion of men and women together in the workplace. What some people call the Mike Pence rule - that of a man and woman not meeting alone to avoid the appearance of evil - has sometimes taken away the opportunity of women being mentored in a corporate environment. How is that you wonder? Since as people move through the corporate pipeline of management - most of the top managers are men. If a man can’t mentor a woman alone - maybe there are other creative solutions to avoiding the fallout of sexual harassment; involvement with a co-worker that takes away from productive interaction or character development; and maybe results in infidelity.
People seem to get stuck on the idea that everyone who is single wants to be coupled or married. I would say fear, insecurity, and building up the ego can lurk below the surface of sexual temptation more than a desire for a lifelong commitment with that particular co-worker. People seek blanket solutions, new rules, because they require less self-awareness and self-control. They also bypass awareness of God’s presence. Such an approach could work with corporate policies such as - whether the mentor is a man or woman, perhaps they can mentor two people at a time whatever gender they are. Maybe encouraging spiritual growth and connection with people in the workplace would be a source of accountability. Sometimes the greatest disconnect results when competition and profit are the leading themes. Perhaps the solutions are as various as what is going on in the hearts of the people involved.
Men and women together - we do need each other as Paul points out in 1 Cor 12, all parts of the body are required to live a life that is whole and abundant. Where do you find yourself in believing that men are more competent at a certain type of work, i.e. one that requires being assertive and task-oriented vs. nurturing and relational? In her course on gender in the workplace, Dr. Denise Daniels of Seattle Pacific University says in fact statistics show women generally being transformational leaders - which is actually a better quality for managers. On boards where there are women (not just one token woman), corporations tend to outperform those that are all men.
The referenced course on scatter.org has exposed many underlying assumptions with a renewed light coming from Scripture and in psychological research. What other ways can the workplace encourage women’s and men’s individual giftedness in more holistic rather than the limited views of the biological differences explored by psychiatrist Michael Gurian in human development and cultural influences? The following suggestions may add some more trust and strength to the corporate soup:
Meetings in glass conference rooms in public spaces.
Late nights at the office in groups of three or more people.
A growing awareness in leaders of how expectations of men’s and women’s contributions to the workplace may be wrong or incomplete.
Self-awareness of personal bias in leaders when they are evaluating performance.
People affirming the other’s ideas or accomplishments in a meeting regardless of their gender.
Hopefully this is the beginning of new insights for your adventure of working in a corporate setting. Having experienced corporate organizations several times, I know that curiosity and a willingness to hear different perspectives encourages personal growth. There is much room for knowing and honoring the people we work with as uniquely gifted men and women - whether it is by way of personality, natural interests, through education or experience. Listening and observing can be the starting points.
