Vivian Vahlberg spoke Tuesday night about innovation and women in the workplace, in light of Ball State University's Women's Week. During the speech, she described her experiences as a female journalist.
According to Vahlberg, women are not held back by institutional barriers today - they're held back by emotional barriers. For instance, because they're living in a patriarchal society, women often have their ideas taken with a grain of salt and later discarded.
Vahlberg cited Helen Fisher, an anthropology professor and human behavior researcher at Rutgers University who has spent years conducting research in gender roles, sexuality and the differences between men and women.
Vahlberg pointed out the importance of Fisher's findings, as displayed by children playing.
For example, little boys tend to create hierarchical situations in almost every game they play - games that usually involve war or fighting. They make it clear that one person is above the rest, Vahlberg said. With men, it's more about power and control, as reflected by the elbows thrown to make it to the top. Their competitive natures are apparent in every activity they take part in, even if it is nothing more than a juvenile game.
Young girls play much less competitively. In fact, Vahlberg emphasized the key differences between the ways boys and girls interact. Girls play games that include communal thinking, cooperation and teamwork. They communicate to work toward pleasing everyone, and they strive to build and maintain relationships.
Boys are satisfied with winning; girls are satisfied by making friendships and keeping the interests of other group members in mind.
If there are members of a group whose needs aren't met, women tend to change the rules, fix the problems or make exceptions.
Fisher's studies also show, according to Vahlberg, that women tend to think in web-like patterns, which differ drastically from men's linear thinking.
Rather than executing one solution to a problem with one precise strategy, women see more options, possibilities and points of view. Their creative ideas perpetuate positive working environments.
Women can also be better leaders, Vahlberg said, by incorporating the input of every employee and being able to understand other ways of thinking.
So what's to be taken from all of this?
Vahlberg's speech was inspirational. It motivated everyone in the room to rethink the role of women in the workplace. Although the days of women burning their bras in protest or marching for civil rights are long past, there are still societal stereotypes and small bits of discrimination that keep women from reaching their full potentials.
Women have so much to offer, and one of Vahlberg's key messages was that being an outsider helps.
Women bring different perspectives to the table, so including different points of view while making important decisions can be beneficial to businesses. She said today is a time of great opportunity for women to excel in all professional fields.
As we graduate college and move on to pursue our career goals, it's important for women to seize opportunities and be confident that we can make business decisions, have families and run companies - all at once.
The presentation connected goal-oriented women with compassionate family-oriented women, and it made all the women in the room proud to be who they are.
Write to Whitney at wlhoyt@gmail.com
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