What women can learn from men

ChroniquesDuVasteMonde: You are 36 years old and have been a professor for two years. What have you done for your career?

Prof. Claudia Peus: Worked a lot. And I was looking for a mentor. Without a strong male mentor, I would not have ended up in this place.

ChroniquesDuVasteMonde: Why a man?

Prof. Claudia Peus: Male mentors are the best at promoting, as research clearly shows. They support emotionally because they trust you more than you do yourself, for example, to apply for a scholarship. They know who the key contacts are and what the next step should be.

The 36-year-old is Professor for Research and Science Management at the Technical University of Munich.

ChroniquesDuVasteMonde: And a woman would not do that?

Prof. Claudia Peus: I had a mentor in the USA. It only made me realize that a career does not have to be straightforward. But a woman just has another insight into the male world and may not know the codes so well. But most networks are male dominated. A good mentor has access to these forums, he knows the male world from within, understands how men act and why some feel threatened by a competent woman. It's always good to know the other side. That's why women should not only complete special training for women.

ChroniquesDuVasteMonde: How did you find your mentor?

Prof. Claudia Peus: I looked for a professor whom I found to be competent both as a person and as a personality. Within two months, I prepared two research projects that I thought could convince him. Then one of his assistants said: Oh, with the topic you fit in the best way to the boss. I thought: Bingo.

ChroniquesDuVasteMonde: And did he support you?

Prof. Claudia Peus: As a doctoral student, I gave a lecture. My boss says to all students: Yes, this is an exciting study, so women like Claudia Peus have to become professors. At the moment I thought that is crazy. I had not come up with the idea yet.

ChroniquesDuVasteMonde: What else can women learn?

Prof. Claudia Peus: When women appear well prepared at conferences, show their competence with sales figures or project results, it is not easy to get past them. All the women I interviewed have always worked hard. This also includes: collecting titles, having scholarships and internships at trendy companies - everything that can be measured promotes a career. But of course they should not only gather, they should also present what they can.

ChroniquesDuVasteMonde: And More Networks ... Why do women struggle with that?

Prof. Claudia Peus: Men have understood that competitors are also potential allies. Women tend to devalue other life models. More loyalty and solidarity among each other would make career advancement easier. Why do so many women lose their self-confidence on the way up? Women often go into defensive negotiations, appear insecure and rarely take on important tasks. If they succeed, they say, "I was lucky." Men trumpet out loud: "I'm great, committed and assertive" - and so strengthen their self-confidence.

ChroniquesDuVasteMonde: So it's all a question of communication style?

Prof. Claudia Peus: Much can be attributed to it. Women ask questions, say "we" and "Claudia Peus, 36, is a professor of research and science management at the Technical University of Munich, but let's try ..." Men say "I" and "That's the way to do it" - and feel the colleague as uncertain. In our interviews, many successful women say: I now speak two languages; I know how to communicate masculine, and I write men's emails other than women's.

ChroniquesDuVasteMonde: What are the best?

Prof. Claudia Peus: To get to the point in a nutshell, to avoid conjunctive and politeness phrases like "I was pleased". And you should always get feedback, ask a colleague after a meeting: Was that too hard? Too cheesy?

ChroniquesDuVasteMonde: Is it still appropriate for women to take over the rituals of men?

Prof. Claudia Peus: In fact, many programs try to make women into men - instead of thinking about what's the use of the company. In professional life still dominates the male communication style. But in the US that has already changed. And it is estimated that it will take us another 15 years before we are ready to recognize female forms of communication as complementary rather than complementary.

ChroniquesDuVasteMonde: And until then should women bend?

Prof. Claudia Peus: No. Women like men, who succeed in switching the codes, come furthest, combining tough behavior with feminine behaviors such as smiling or nodding. This includes finding allies and following his own personal passion.