Although biologically wired to think like a man, raising two daughters has forced Michael Johnson to see the world through the eyes of women, which fostered his interest in gender communication.
This intense interest led him to release his first book on the subject – “Cracking the Boys Club Code.”
“Cracking the Boys Club Code” gives women an insight into the unconscious rules of engagement that men use in the game of business.
Armed with this knowledge, women can easily vary their communication to ensure they are heard, valued and get the outcomes and results they desire.
And Mike knows this better than most. As the founder of Diamond Dynamic, he helps corporations profit though understanding the world’s two most diverse cultures: male and female.
He holds advanced certifications in Neuropsychology, Linguistics and Hypnotherapy and is coauthor of “Getting the Business Breakthrough You Want.
I had the pleasure of talking to Michael to find out just how we can master the art of communicating with men most effectively, both personally and in business. He’s also generously giving away five copies of his just released book to WomanzWorld readers – to be in the draw to receive one, simply leave a comment below this blog post about your experiences of successfully communicating with men in business.
WomanzWorld: What motivated you to write your first book “Cracking the Boys Club Code”?
Michael Johnson: I wrote Cracking the Boys Club Code for three reasons:
- To thank my two daughter, Shea and Sybil, for the honor of being their father and for opening my eyes to the frustrations caused by the inherent differences in the way men and women view and communicate about the world about them.
- To make today’s corporations aware of the unique and complementary skills that women bring to business, and that without those skills, corporations are doomed to mediocrity at best.
- Help women to understand the rules of engagement that men use in business so that they are better able to assume decision-making positions throughout the corporate structure, from manager to CEO to board member.
What are the key insights your book provides to women?
In general men don’t consciously try to keep women from advancing. Men view business as a game called “I Win, You Lose – Next Game” and as a result they are looking for team members who can help the team win, period. Men aren’t really concerned with gender, race, sexuality and so on as much as they are with whether the person can help the team win. Men have a set of unconscious rules that they use to choose team members
Women, on the other hand, play the game called “We all must win.” Unfortunately many of ways in which women naturally communicate results in them sending signals that they are not going to be a good team member (this is not true but perceptions are reality to those holding them). My book provides insights that allow women to be seen as good team members, which results in them getting invited to join the team.
What are the key takeaways you’d like your readers to have?
- In general men don’t consciously try to keep women from advancing.
- Corporations need the unique skills that women bring to the table to survive in today’s global economy.
- Neuroscience has now proven that female and male brains are physically different, dispelling the notion that it is only socialization that makes us different.
- Just like each culture has its own rules, rituals and customs, so does each gender.
- Each gender has its own set of unique strengths that when combined produce a result that is greater than the sum of the parts.
- Each gender assumes that the other understands the world in the same way as they do, which produces conflict.
Do you think the business landscape is changing for women?
Yes, but slowly. Women control/influence approximately 85% of all purchasing decisions, yet they only occupy about 16% of all management positions in corporate America.
Many women are opting out and starting their own companies at a record rate.
WomanzWorld is excited to have Mike join us on a monthly basis to give more key insights in a guest post.
Mike lectures for San Jose State College of Business, UCSC and the Haas Graduate School of Business at U.C. Berkeley on entrepreneurship.
He’s on the board of the Association for Corporate Growth and a member of Boardroom Bound, an organization dedicated to assisting women in preparing for and obtaining board positions in corporate America. He is also a mentor for Astia, a non-profit helping women-owned businesses obtain funding.