Should we be turning on the feminine charm?

A couple of months ago, the magazine Grazia revealed that a survey had concluded that the more aggressive and man-like women were at work, the less well they did. So, the publication questioned, 'is it time to turn on the feminine charm?'

It's an interesting questions and one that of course has two arguments; those for a bit of additional femininity and those totally against the idea.

Those against the idea feel that there is other contradictory evidence that suggests that women could actually do with being a little more assertive in the work place, not less. They also feel that being assertive is different to being aggressive - an argument that I would certainly agree with. There is a difference, of course there is. Being assertive doesn't mean that you have to become, well, mean! But surely you can be assertive and feminine at the same time? Surely the combination of these qualities has assisted well known female icons in their pursuit for world domination?

Those who claim to be more in favour of adding a bit of the feminine charm into the workplace (and these are opinions held by women, about women you understand; otherwise I too would be questioning the validity of these arguments!), feel that the key is authenticity. They state that self-confidence comes from authenticity, and that the confidence others have in you is also derived from a feeling that they can trust you, and that they can trust who you are. We women would perhaps be a little nervous of men who we felt weren't ever showing their true personality at work - why then do women feel the need to behave like men in the work place when that's not who they truly are?

Of course everyone is different. But the prominent feminine personality traits are generally different to those of men. Women are generally more sensitive towards others, they tend to be more cautious about un-necessary risk and their self esteems are generally less inflamed. Femininity is more than just what clothes you wear. It is what makes women different from men. Why trample on or try to hide these unique features?

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