Authority in work

[Amazona24]

Is it me or do men not like authority from a woman in a work place. Not saying all but a large majority.
I'm slowing working my way up in my job and have people below me who I help and do some work for me. However I notice a difference between the women and men. The women will happily ask for help if needed whereas the men won't and will seek out another man or much older senior woman in my place. I feel like they are undermining me. I had to take a complaint to a manager yesterday as I had asked a guy to do the job I had given him numerous times but he kept putting it off.
So does anyone else notice this in their work place or is it just me?

Bump

I see this all the time, men are much more comfortable challenging authority when it is a woman they are challenging. I think most of the time men don't even notice they're doing it. One only needs to read the Relationships board to see that men find such behaviours towards women completely acceptable. I don't know what the answer is.

I find that being known as a ballbuster helps. With some men, you have to throw all the management training out the window and just be relentlessly tough on them. Otherwise they'll perceive you as soft. It's counterintuitive on their part but I find it works. It's also uncomfortable at first.
If you have men undermining your authority, of course. Otherwise you can treat them like normal!
Just my 2p, I've managed men (and women) for many years.

saying no to men thread might be useful

Sometimes yes, sometimes no.
I have had a lot of female bosses and can think of more examples that don't follow this than do.
But remember that women prefer to have male bosses than female and it's looking tough for female bosses.

In my experience the ones that are good at their job, who are secure in themselves are fine - yes, I would say that it takes a touch longer for them to realise that I do know what I'm talking about and understand what they're saying, and that my opinions are worth listening to (I'm in tech), but once that hurdle is over, I have a good working relationship with them.

The ones that aren't, that don't do their job well, or are lazy, or have been promoted above their skills or experience and aren't open to learniing - they're the ones that don't like having me directing them.

Oh yes! I've often had it that my team members will go to my (male) manager to confirm it when i say no to something they want. Luckily my boss is good at backing me up, but it's infuriating.

See Corbyn's most recent put down to TM. Sadly that is what some men think about women who dare to enter the workplace and get in to a position of authority.

It's really sad really. Looking around my department it's mostly men with 1 female manager

Even the young woke chaps are like this. They bang on about everyone's rights and how they are all for equality, and then ignore you or are dismissive. I've got this issue with a newbie in my department at the moment.

The woke bros are the worst. They virtue signal everywhere but seem to double down on their misogyny. Twats.

Why did you have to complain to a manager - why didn't you deal with the not doing the work yourself. That is how you are going to get listened to, by acting like a confident manager even if you don't feel like it.

If someone is refusing to do what is asked of them, what on earth is the OP supposed to do except escalate? She showed him that it was out of order through her actions.

This is NOT the fault of the OP, FGS.

helpful I'm not a manager. Like I said in moving up so taking on mode responsibility and delegating work. I had asked the guy numerous times to complete and he had not so I have no other option but to speak to my manager.

It's not just you OP. I have found this at work as well, STEM and male dominated. there are exceptions though.

I have been openly told in special schools that I should not tell boys what to do as they don't like taking orders from women.

This is legal. And I'm supposed to support it.

To be honest I've had very mixed experiences with both sexes.
I've had some dreadful female managers who expressed their authority by being authoritarians.
I've had some excellent male managers.
When I was in a management position I didn't have any problems with the way I was treated by male and female colleagues I was working with.

I have had some sexist, misogynistic male colleagues who I wasn't working directly with.

I can't think of a single male colleague who behaves like that and nearly all the managers in my area are female.

A lot of research has been undertaken that shows that men and women collaborate better than women do with other women, and that women especially dislike collaborating with women who hold more authority.

So your situation is seemingly not the norm. Most women also vote in preference of having a male boss and have for many years.

My very best jobs have been working in all-female teams with a female boss over us. We had way less office politics bogging everyone down. Noticeably less ego management required, more time spent getting the job done well. I don’t think it was just a coincidence.

chatty my male manager is very must egotistic management. He likes to loudly talk (almost shout) about winning new clients/ a nice client email/present from client/meetings he's been included in. It's actually quite comical. He also gets very jealous if the girls in the office goes for drinks together which I find odd. He will say a dig but follow it with I'm only joking. Very passive aggressive.

He sounds like Michael Scott OP!

Who is Michael Scott?

The lead in the American version of The Office. Worth a watch!

Oh right 😂 I'll have a look.