[Jeff Higgins]

One of my former coworkers, a lady whom I respected a great deal, co-authored one of the definitive studies on what they call "The Queen Bee Syndrome". It's worth spending some time studying this material. My own wife, who was trained as a nurse and rose to the position of managing the nursing staff of the most prominent asthma/allergy practice in the state read this and said, simply, "hell yeah". It's a very real issue amongst professional women, to which none of us guys are ever exposed.

I know I am going to come across as the proverbial chauvinist pig, but I'll put this out there anyways: In 34 years as an engineer in a pretty demanding profession, I never once met a competent woman engineer. Oh, don't get me wrong - plenty were "book smart" and could talk the talk - but not a one could walk the walk, under field conditions, where they had to make something work. Not a one of them grew up playing with Erector Sets, wrenching on their own bikes or other mechanical objects, not a one had any mechanical hobbies. You know, the grease under their fingernails and the skinned or bruised knuckles. In other words, not a one of them had developed the least little bit of mechanical intuition whatsoever.

Now, I understand I was in a unique field. Management is likely quite different. All I can say, however, from my admittedly tiny little professional knothole, is I never met one that could do the same job the men I was surrounded with could do pretty much intuitively. Not one.

There are, of course, areas in which women excel head and shoulders over men. No doubt about it. And these are by no means "lesser" (or better) vocations, just different. Anyone who denies the different sexes have different talents is, well, simply in denial. We are not only physically different, but mentally and emotionally as well. I cannot believe it's reached the point where stating these obvious facts will put me in hot water but, alas, that's the world in which we live. There should be no "competition" - just cooperation borne through acknowledgment and acceptance of one another's strengths and weaknesses. I'm afraid that's not the world in which we live, however. Flame away...

There are, of course, exceptions to everything. Examples of one do not, however, prove a damn thing...