[Tom Peters] What is the point of men?

The theme of Tom Peters’ day-long seminar yesterday, 12 March 2008, at Gallagher Estate in Midrand, was that basically RELATIONSHIPS are the most important focus in any business – from your customers/clients, to your team/employees. And that women are better at relationships, making them far more effective leaders and managers.

Hey, I can’t argue with that, but this is uber-leadership/management guru Peters telling the world, so clearly, it’s gospel!

And if you don’t believe Peters, believe The Economist… “Forget China, India, and the internet – economic growth is driven by women” (The Economist headline , 15 April, 2006).

One thing is certain, women’s rise to power is not under question. This is just the beginning, Peters says. “The situation in most of the world is borderline insane. I thought it was an American thing, but by the age of 19, English boys are roughly six years behind the intellectual age of girls. The marginalisation of boys is increasing.”

There’s even a word for it (the Americans have a word for everything)… ‘Womenomics’ – the economy as thought out and practiced by a woman (Aude Zieseniss de Thuin, Financial Times, 10 March 2006).

New studies find that female managers outshine their male counteracts in almost every measure, Peters emphasised.

His 10 unassailable reasons women rule…

1. Women make financial decisions.
2. Women control wealth.
3. Women outlive men.
4. Women start most new businesses.
5. Women workforce participation rates have soared worldwide.
6. Women are closing in on ‘same pay for same job’.
7. Women are penetrating the senior ranks rapidly (even if the pace is slow for the corner office per se).
8. Women’s leadership strengths are exceptionally well-aligned with new organisational effectiveness imperatives.
9. Women are better sales persons than men.
10. Women buy (almost) everything – commercial as well as consumer goods.

“So what exactly is the point of men?” Peters shouted out!

The three men on my left in the audience laughed nervously. “Best you learn to cook, boys,” was my gleeful retort, “since we’ll be out there earning the money!” (Cue dirty looks, but I detected a smidgeon of fear…)

Peters concluded, “My interest in this topic is not social welfare, but greed… organisations which are not responding to the wishes and needs of the people who buy the product. That is my only point.”

So marketers, wake up and smell the floral perfume, it’s a woman’s world out there. Best you start talking our language if you want us to be your customer/client in the foreseeable future!