100 Skills Every (Wo)Man Should Know

By Guest Blogger, Mary Schmidt, Marketing Troubleshooter

Popular Mechanics recently published a list for their readers - assuming they're all men.   Many of which - yes - I can do, including #39, change a diaper ;-) (If I want to do so is another story.)  Then there's "Change a tire." Check.   "Grill with charcoal" Check. "Remove a tick " Check. "Install a graphics card"  Check.  "Drive a stick" Check. And so on.

The fact that the 100 manly skills are ones that many women also have (and more) as a matter of course illustrates how our society has changed. Yet marketing (and politics) still has to catch up. The "little woman" stereotype is alive and well and living in ads and campaigns. 

All political views aside  - It's  terrific that women have come so far that it's a power play to nominate one as VP.   But, then two of Governor Palin's big emotional selling points is that she's a "Hockey Mom" and she chose to have a Down's Syndrome baby. (Remember, people buy based on emotion - then find a logical reason to justify the buy.) Um, okay.  So, here we are - back to talking about a woman as a Mom. More power to her and her family if they're all involved and mutually supportive - but how does this make her qualified to lead the country?  And, as I and others keep noting in talking about marketing to women - many of us don't have kids, so pushing that "Mom" button doesn't work.  Further Moms are complex. They're also activists, community organizers, ministers, mayors, CEOs, soldiers, writers, firefighters, police officers, etc. etc.

Moving on - If you read many of the auto magazines (which I've been doing for a client) - you'd swear we're still living in about 1968.  Lots of scantily clad, pouty women draped over cars.  (There's a whole subculture of car babes with their own fan base.)  Even the "high-class" advertisers such as BMW think nothing of using women as objects in their marketing.  Many men simply cannot understand why we women get so upset.  A commenter on my blog post about BMW told me I was a "grumpy old feminist."  (Try this, guys.  How would you feel if your 16-year-old son was posed as a sex object in a gay magazine?  Starting to get the idea?)   

So, here's what I would add to the list of skills everyone should have (that also come in handy if you want to be a successful marketer and businessperson): 

Listening to other points of view, even when they don't agree with yours (especially if they don't.)

Respecting that the other sex (culture, religion, ethnic group) may be upset about things in ways you will never understand...and that they may be entirely justified. 

Knowing when to stand up and speak out...and when to sit down and shut up. 

Discussing radically different ideas in a civil manner.

Understanding that no matter how much you wordsmith it - lies are not "false information." They're lies. 

Not assuming that someone is stupid simply because they live in a small town - or elitist because they live in a big city.  (Marketing demographics are a lazy marketer's addiction.)

Not saying anything to anyone you wouldn't say to their face.

Then there's good old-fashioned common courtesy and common sense - something we should all work to have and practice - in both business and personal life.

And - yes - I also think everyone should know how to bake a pie - from scratch, starting with the crust. I'm planning to break out the rolling pin this weekend.  (That I bake and that I'm good at it never ceases to surprise people who have me categorized as a single career woman/high-tech, high-dollar  business consultant. (See above skill list re demographics and lazy marketers.)

Related Posts:

Yvonne on Daring to Venture Into the Fray

Women Don't Buy Spark Plugs. Yawn.

Comments

[marthasvineyard]

This is so true. I have felt I have many of the same skills (and more) than a lot of men around me. I have my mom and dad to thank though - they raised my sister and I to be capable and self sufficient.