Motivation on the Run

… Do I have your attention? What has sex got to do with motivation? A lot, if you think about it, but I want to make a different point. The question I want to raise is, are women motivated differently than men? I’m serious…

I realize this topic can get me in trouble fast, but I think it’s a serious question that needs exploring. I haven’t had a woman sales rep working for me for a long time, so maybe I am out of the loop, but here is the premise I am pondering.

1) Are women motivated by the same things as men?
2) Do women respond to the same prizes or awards as men?
3) Is public recognition as important to women as men?
4) Is it different when they have children at home or is that an issue with most companies?

Now I don’t mean to say women need to be treated different, or that they can’t do the same job, because I don’t believe that for a minute, but when you are a sales manager, do you handle a female sales rep differently? I’ve had female reps as part of my team before and this is a discussion that everyone was afraid to have. I think the fear of harassment was ever present and so caution was practiced to the utmost.

But really, what do you do when they need time off for things the company does not recognize as legitimate? How does your company handle these issues. How involved does HR get in these discussions.

I could see that some things would be as desirable to women as men, like trips or dinners to nice restaurants, but what about fishing trips or golf outings where all the reps are assembled. I think that some companies have dealt with this issue in depth, but I have never read anything about this, anywhere.

How does your company handle this question?