Male team at work. How to adapt to a woman in a male team: detailed instructions. Give up trying to befriend coworkers

01.07.2020

What are men like? Laconic, tough, result-oriented, loving spirits. And the women? Soft, kind, vulnerable, smiling. It is good when the male collides with the female in the office, maintaining a precarious balance. When the "stronger sex" prevails, you have to adapt - either to get a haircut like a boy and merge with the team, or vice versa - to intensively fluff up your femininity. However, do not forget about one more important thing - each case is individual.

“For a long time I was the only woman in the top management of one company,” says Marina Vishnyakova, managing director of PM Team. “I often had to spend time explaining that I prefer to communicate in the correct Russian language.

A woman in a men's team either has to coarse herself or endure. I believe that it cannot be tolerated. A woman is constantly measured for stress resistance and no corrections are made for her gender. A woman is supposed to work 24 hours a day and look great at all times. However, I am grateful for this experience - the habit of looking good, always smiling, sitting with a straight back, apparently, will never disappear. "

Face male foreheads

Psychologist Natalia Kravchenko believes that the male team is characterized by strength, competitiveness, hierarchy. "Although there is certainly a place for friendship in him, the main aspect of men's interaction is the focus on joint solutions to professional problems. A colleague values, first of all, his skill, and only then his personal qualities: for the sake of a result, men may well sacrifice emotional comfort." ...

In a sense, we can say that work in a purely male team is more difficult than in a purely female team, the psychologist believes. If women can get stuck, bogged down in trifles or interpersonal relationships, then men risk getting involved in a tough struggle for primacy, which, ultimately, will stop the process of moving towards the goal altogether. A man needs someone to recognize his superiority, and since it is rather paradoxical to recognize the mutual superiority of each other, a woman - even one - can positively influence the situation. From the point of view of the professional development of the team, the male composition has a greater potential than the female, but the realization of this potential directly depends on the ability to overcome the temptation of the struggle for primacy.

Plato is to blame

"In general, Plato, as usual, is to blame for everything, who argued that" ... by their nature, both a woman and a man can take part in all matters, but a woman is weaker than a man in everything, "says psychologist Yuri Matsnev. “No matter what we say, today the social order is based on inequality, including gender, and is provided by intragroup power and its main tool, violence.”

In addition to a pronounced hierarchy, Matsnev considers relatively stable alliances "for friends" and "against others" for the sake of status and territory as a characteristic feature of the male group.

The specialist believes that it is generally better for a woman to stay away from such relationships if she does not want to be a victim of them or to build behavior according to a male model with all the ensuing consequences for her personality. “You need to be very careful in following the gender stereotypes of this group: voluntarily assuming the role of a wife-mother-vest-dishwasher-combat friend, you can forever part with the role of a professional,” Matsnev emphasizes.

“Only one thing can compensate for the sad fact, the principle of social inequality: when the system of relations between members of the group is mediated by joint activity and is based on it,” the psychologist is sure. praises "customers". Only in this case it is possible to go beyond gender roles and prejudices. "

Life stories: kindergarten, second group

"After 2.5 years of work in the men's team, I have no illusions about the strong half of humanity," says Oksana ( hereinafter, all the names of the storytellers have been changed. - Approx. Office Life)- I felt like a teacher in a kindergarten, although I was 5-8 years younger than everyone else: either one employee cannot come because he got drunk, then another has personal circumstances, then the third is mortally ill. By the way, female colleagues always get sick less tragically. In addition, each of my employees was, of course, the smartest. And something could be achieved from him only by hinting at his extraordinary mind. "

“Well, the very hell for me was that already in the second week of work I had to wear thick and hard underwear and make sure that it did not peek, because otherwise these cynical people would joke all day long,” she continues. However, I am still friends with all these alcoholics and schemers. It seems that they perceive me as something like a juvenile affairs inspector. "

“At my last job, three men and I were sitting in one small room,” Ira recalls. “The topic of my personal life (which they knew nothing about) was constantly raised, everyone tried to find out if I had a boyfriend. And most importantly, how Desperate to find out his name, the employees decided to use other methods and began to stage a song from Pinocchio with the chorus "Tell me what his name is" ... "

“In general, men are like children,” Ira thinks. “They clapped plastic bags while I went out, poured all the small change from the office piggy bank into my bag (you can imagine the weight after that), they could go to a cafe for lunch and drink 100 200 g of vodka for each ... But, in general, they are lovely guys. It was possible to get along. " Ira's diary of those times can be read.

Men's rules

Business psychologist Alexander Afanasyev believes that it is useful to "dilute" the male team with the fairer sex. “First of all, you need to remember that the arrival of at least one or three persons of a different sex in both a“ purely male ”and a“ purely female ”team immediately raises labor productivity by at least 15%,” he says. “This was calculated by meticulous Americans. , and here I agree with them. "

There are many hidden "rules of the game" in the men's team, but one thing is indisputable and convex: you will find much less sympathy and sentiment in it, the psychologist is sure. What "rules of the game of work" do men adhere to in their teams?

1st rule- "rule of confident competence". Men wear the mask of a confident know-it-all to their last strength, even when they are completely unsure of their abilities. They seek help only in extreme cases, calling it "only when it is really needed." Men are ready to make mistakes, BUT they carefully hide them and suffer from them for a long time. It is clear that Atlant will not have enough health for a long time with this approach.

2nd rule- "the watchful eye of power". Men always try to control the events taking place around them, while not wanting to show their dependence on their superiors. It is accepted "to the last nerve" to hide the fact that someone pisses you off and has already "got you". Complaining to colleagues is a sign of a weakling.

3rd rule- "a fight (duel) is a harsh inevitability", therefore "fight" is necessary. You can do it without being too aggressive, but honestly. The latter is from the last century and is increasingly becoming "anachrenism", since less and less often the opponent is given the right to "save face" in case of a loss.

4th rule- "command", or "teammates always help each other." Loyalty to both the entire team and to your group in it is appreciated.

Combine the role of a bosom friend and a vest

“I worked in a men's team“ at the dawn of a foggy youth, ”Olga says.“ There are 2 women for 50 representatives of the stronger sex: me (the secretary of the general director) and an accountant. It worked well, there were no problems with the “boys”. I was friends with She covered them when they were late, kept a supply of mint tablets and chewing gum in a drawer ... Well, they didn’t remain in debt. They didn’t swear in front of me, it was considered bad form. But the ladies are not ashamed of each other. the men talked normally. Little on business. "

Of the three types of teams, Olga prefers to work in mixed or male. She likes women less. "Women are too emotional, plus inevitable hormonal fluctuations, it's good if at different times, and if not, it's bad. Quiet horror," she explains her position. doses ".

Psychologist Natalia Kravchenko believes that a woman, first of all, faces a choice of what role she will play in the team. Option one is a "full-fledged" team member. In this case, a woman should be ready to adapt to the peculiarities of the male style of work, to get used to a high pace, the absence of important, in her opinion, ethical aspects (for example, rudeness in a male team is by no means always a sign of disrespect). The lady will have to prove that she is no worse at work, that you can rely on her as well as on other colleagues, but as a reward she will receive stable respect and recognition from many male colleagues at once.

If a woman is not inclined to competition and does not see any point in the struggle for the title of the best manager / expert, then there is another way out. You can, on the contrary, emphasize your femininity, openly show not only the strong, but also the weak (but no less attractive) sides. With such a presentation of herself, it is hardly worth counting on professional respect and a rapid career, but with due regard to the success of her colleagues of the stronger sex, the girl will quickly be able to win the status of the keeper of a positive team spirit. She will be appreciated for her ability to create a good working atmosphere, defuse the situation in time. Which role is more attractive is up to her to decide.

Congratulations: you've finally found your dream job! Career opportunities are unlimited. The vacation is endless. Salary - you will not spend in a lifetime. But there is one small detail: tomorrow you will find a completely male team. So much so that even the cactus on the window is male. What to do now - to fall into? Or rejoice in unexpected luck? How quickly can you accept a change in the rules of the game? After all, a woman in a men's team discovers a new, unfamiliar and unusual model of behavior for the stronger sex.

Where did I go?

What is shocking right from the door is the high level of aggression. In the male group, a clearly expressed hierarchy is established: here are leaders, there is the bulk, outsiders are in the corner. The struggle for territory and status is ongoing: sometimes openly, sometimes subconsciously. Men tease each other, pry, test their strength and readiness to defend their "possessions".
This misleads a woman: trying to copy aggressive behavior, she does not take into account the fact that men tacitly understand the convention of struggle, preventing it from spreading to work or personal relationships.

For them, competition and rivalry is a familiar natural process, part of the game. Now they are fiercely arguing about who will get a comfortable chair or who will sit by the window - and a minute later they are peacefully drinking coffee. The woman, taking the external manifestation for the essence, experiences severe stress and declares military action, thinking that she has managed to make mortal enemies for herself.

The second female mistake is connected with this - the invasion of the boundaries of the space that men defend as their zone of influence. It includes material (computer, tools, parking space) and abstract (its part of work, professional activity and qualifications). Now do you understand why men are violent about women's advice about what and how to do at work? Or tidying up their desk without permission?

And the third consequence: a woman in a men's team would be better off not rushing to make friends for herself without understanding the hierarchy of the group. Recklessly joining outsiders, she will transfer to herself some of the disrespect or even contempt for them from the rest of the team. Who knows how this will affect career growth?

And what to do with it?

In fact, there is nothing wrong. Men are well aware that you don't have to follow these rules. However, it can be useful to immediately identify your area of expertise: in the future, you will avoid persistent wishes to make coffee, unsolicited recommendations on organizing the work process, and even exclude unpleasant harassment from worried colleagues. Be prepared for men to repeatedly try to test your defenses - but treat this as an element of the game, not an act of aggression.

At the same time, you should definitely not go into a deep defense, think that you are surrounded by opponents, communicate with colleagues dryly, coldly and exclusively on business. Moving away from the team, you thereby hint to them that you are supposedly better, higher and wiser than them. How friendly do you think it will be? How quickly will you find yourself in a complete information vacuum? Most often, such condescending behavior is the reason for male aggression towards a woman in a team. Take an example from men: it is quite possible to be sociable and responsive, maintain communication and go on joint smoke breaks, without crossing the boundaries of personal space.

By the way, about the personal: for men, work is a priority, so all domestic problems, girlfriends and relatives should be left outside the door. Strongly discouraged:

hanging on the phone for hours, talking with girlfriends about fashion news;
call home every minute in order to find out what your child used for lunch and what marks he brought today;
leave the workplace on personal matters - especially for a visit to the hairdresser.

If your absence is caused by really important reasons - you need to go to the doctor or take your child to him, there was a flood at home - at least pretend that you are upset by the forced distraction from your favorite work: this will earn yourself extra points. Free advice: any absence from work related to car repair or maintenance is perceived by men as benevolent.

Business lady

Having figured out how the male collective looks through the eyes of a woman, we will try to form an image and a model of behavior that will be at least neutral perceived by men and describe how a woman should behave in a male collective in order to win a place for herself. The nuance is that if this image or model evokes internal protest in you, does not correspond to your character, you most likely will not be able to stay in the men's team.

1. They meet by clothes

There is an opinion that for successful work a woman in a men's team needs a strict business style, a minimum of makeup and a taboo on clothes in bright colors. This is only half true:

liberties in clothing are definitely not recommended for beginners, about whose professional qualities the team has not yet compiled;
your clothes that are too open, tight and bright, distract men from their "sacred cow" - work. Yes, they will show a purely masculine interest, but the damage to your career and the image of a "frivolous flirtatious" will many times outweigh the possible benefits;
men cannot be shocked. A lady who carefully maintained a business style is able to stop the work of an entire company, suddenly appearing at work in mini and high heels. Therefore, shorten the skirt and deepen the neckline by a centimeter a month - and in six months you will have freedom in choosing outfits;
some freedom in dress is permissible for those women who have already shown their professional skills, have earned the authority of high-class workers and know how to win the respect of colleagues in other ways;
a purely masculine accessory or detail of a suit (tie, jacket, formal trousers) shows men that you are “yours” even when your other clothes are extremely feminine.

2. Do you respect me?

Do you know what is the most useless here? Demand respect for yourself. Not to deserve, not to earn, namely to demand - on the basis that "I am a woman here, and you are men." Even worse, using this argument, try to remake the male team according to their female understanding: forbid them to smoke, express themselves "from the heart" or discuss girls passing by. They will continue to do this anyway - but in their own circle, with their backs turned to you. Do you understand the danger?

Sometimes a woman in a men's team tries to become “her boyfriend”: she starts smoking, talking vulgarities and getting into a fight. Such ladies are not recognized as full members of the collective, but they will lose that important part of themselves that makes them women.

From the point of view of men, there is no gender division. Here everyone is equally responsible for the common cause and is equally responsible for the result. Therefore, all privileges are revoked, and female methods of conflict resolution are inapplicable. Crying, throwing tantrums or expressing emotions is a sure way to cause misunderstanding and rejection - after all, this is a clear demonstration of weakness and unpredictability. And weakness, as we already know, in conditions of constant male competition is unacceptable: this is not a kindergarten, but serious work.

But at the same time, reactions that men understandable to understandable situations will be met with approval. No one will even lead an eyebrow if you swear after a conversation with, slap on the table after an unpleasant client leaves, or make a characteristic hand gesture by signing a million dollar contract.

In a team, you can earn the respect of men in two ways: to become a master of your craft and go to work with your head - or to show yourself as a strong personality. If everything is clear with mastery, then the second presupposes some work on oneself. We are talking about things that require the possession of willpower and a certain courage: go in for sports (especially extreme sports), start learning foreign languages, learn to drive a car quickly and confidently. Add to this solid inner principles and as a reward you will receive unchanging respect and admiration of the male part of the team. Now you can remember about short skirts ...

3. Citizen chief

It is logical if a woman who has shown herself to be a top-notch specialist will be appointed to a leadership position. Some tension will inevitably arise, but out of respect for her authority, men will give the woman her due: she honestly earned her reward. In this case, the female leader in the male team will feel at home: she is well aware of all the ambitions, internal hierarchy and moods of colleagues.

It is much more difficult if the female boss is invited from the outside. The probability that the team will not accept it is almost one hundred percent. After all, the respect of men must be earned, remember? It will be very useful to immediately inform your subordinates about your high qualifications and past achievements - only in indirect ways, otherwise men will take it for bragging.

Correct policy: to show yourself as a caring, but fair and demanding "mom". Direct the destructive energy of men outward, let them know that you are on the same side in the battle with competitors, that in any controversial situations you will act on the side of the team. If you simultaneously confirm with deeds the rumors about your professional qualities launched earlier, then a positive result will not be long in coming.

Wrong policy: Trying to subdue men with authoritarianism, psychological pressure, threat of dismissal and shouting. By the way, have you noticed how many women leaders take this path? Men already painfully endure blows to their pride, but getting them from a woman ... The result is predictable: war will be declared, the team will close, deprive you of access to relevant information, begin to sabotage your orders and openly substitute them at the first opportunity.

4. Love will come unwittingly ...

What about flirting and coquetry, is this permissible in the workplace? We answer: only in two cases. Firstly, if you came to the men's team in search of a life partner and do not plan to stay here for a moment after the cherished ring sparkles on your ring finger.

Secondly, liberties are permissible for a woman who has been working in a men's team for a long time, who has earned authority and has already established the boundaries of what is permissible (remember about clothes - here is the same situation). Only then will female coquetry, presented in a comic form, be able to brighten up the harsh everyday life of the male team. However, it doesn't hurt to make sure that men understand the conventions of this "performance" - otherwise some poor fellow will take your flirting at face value, get a refusal and start taking revenge, spreading unpleasant rumors behind your back and causing other troubles.

If you are not sure whether the men around you have a sense of humor, it is better not to risk it: any accidental touches and hints can be misinterpreted. In the speed of spreading rumors and gossip, the male team will give odds to the female one, and if you are also flirting with your superiors ...

Service or romance?

The statistics are relentless: no more than 15% of office romances end in marriage. But every second person has to quit after the end of the relationship. Even if it does not come to a job change, violent feelings and the work process are mutually exclusive things and therefore are not approved by the management.

Definitely not in your department, in plain sight. Gossip, advice, even attempts to embroil you will come not only from rejected fans, but also from completely indifferent colleagues. When you start an affair with a subordinate, you will never know how pure his intentions are and what he is saying to colleagues behind your back. Starting an affair with your boss, you end your career as a specialist on this - no one will ever believe that you have achieved something on your own. In an ideal office romance, partners are not bound by a “boss-subordinate” relationship, are not direct colleagues, and are not constantly in front of each other.

What are the advantages a woman can find in a men's team

Let's be honest: coming to work in a men's team, you set yourself a difficult task. You cannot lose vigilance for a minute, you cannot show weakness or use the classic female "arsenal" - how long can you withstand such stress? Fortunately, men's views on this problem are much more loyal than they seem - they will forgive many small mistakes, they will again and again provide you with the opportunity to prove yourself. And the good news is that the tension will soon pass. As soon as you earn the trust of your colleagues, you will have at your service not one strong man's shoulder, but a dozen or two - and not only shoulders, but also consultants on problems with cars, repairs, household appliances and computers.

You will learn to work the way they do - quickly, decisively, without torment and hesitation, instantly move from a state of calm to seething activity. You will begin to control words and hold back emotions, eliminate ambiguity and convey information to your opponent in a concise and understandable way.

You will understand how to build not only at work, but also in life. And finally - a woman in a men's team must constantly take care of herself, be in good shape. Lack of makeup or, old jeans and slippers, men may not notice. But you yourself will allow yourself to appear in this form at work, where even a cactus - and that one is male?

Working in a men's team seems hard to those who have never worked in it. Of course, this does not mean that all employees are just waiting for a female colleague to appear. However, joining a male team and showing oneself as a competitive employee is no more difficult than in a female one. Here are some useful tips that our editors prepared together with Alina Reiselman, an entrepreneur, business expert and author of a unique methodology for increasing productivity and efficiency.

What should be avoided in a male team

When getting a job, keep in mind: for successful integration into a team, it is necessary to think over the image and behavior to the smallest detail. Appearance, demeanor, timing, speech and habits should emphasize the seriousness of your intentions.

Avoid the following mistakes:

1. Challenging clothing

Avoid necklines, short skirts, deep slits, bright clothes, tight dresses, high heels, fabrics through which you can see the linen or its contours.

2. Bright makeup or its complete absence

A bright make-up makes it clear that you want to be in the spotlight. The complete absence of makeup will create the image of a gray mouse or a self-confident bitch - it depends on the professional competence of the employee. In both cases, you will be shunned.

3. Emotions

No emotion. In the male team, only a slight benevolent smile is permissible without a hint of ridicule and flirting. Yelling, swearing, raising your voice, expressing irritation, stormy joy, compassion is unacceptable. In no case should you shed tears, walk with a dull look, soar in the clouds and withdraw into yourself.

4. Gestures and facial expressions

Give up unnecessary gestures. You should not actively wave your hands, show indecent gestures, allow ambiguous touches, grimace or express feelings through facial expressions.

5. Coarseness, rudeness, rudeness

These qualities annoy colleagues of both sexes. Manneriness is the lot of wealthy housewives. Your goal is to be a professional worker. If all the men around you are rude, even boorish behavior, behave differently. You are a lady. On the other hand, don't take rudeness as a personal insult. Rudeness on your part is unacceptable. Ignore rudeness in your address or parry reasonably within the framework of business etiquette. Rudeness is a sign of weakness and stupidity.

6. Bad habits

Smoking cigarettes with male colleagues, drinking alcohol after work, and Friday binges will not make you your own. Men hate women who smoke and drink. Yes, there are times when the situation obliges you to take a sip of strong drink, but never get drunk in front of colleagues and smoke with them.

7. Weakness

Weakness is unacceptable. For men, you are an employee and a competitor, not a muslin girl. But if you need to move furniture, move something bulky and heavy, then it is quite acceptable to seek help from men. On the contrary, your futile attempts to move a heavy object yourself will be the reason for caustic jokes.

8. Flirting and personal relationships

Flirtation, flirting and romance with employees of yours and those of competing organizations are unacceptable.

9. Demonstration of personal problems

Never tell colleagues about your personal life and family problems, do not leave the workplace without really serious reasons.

10. Idleness and vanity

Men are idle at the workplace no less than women, but once they are in the men's team, one must forget about idleness. If you have completed all the work and you really have nothing to do, take the time to study aspects that will help you improve your professionalism. Don't fuss. This does not suit a woman.

11. Tips, notations, remarks

Leave the teachings for your family. In a men's team, this is unacceptable.

12. Don't gossip or gossip

Complaints about coworkers and gossip can lead to early dismissals.

On this topic

What will help a woman to withstand competition in a men's team:

1. Business image

Suits with trousers in a masculine style or with a knee-length skirt, moderate make-up, a neat, well-arranged haircut or hairstyle, 1-2 elegant jewelry made of precious metals (for example, miniature earrings and a brooch), shoes with comfortable heels of medium height.

2. Naturalness

Don't try to wear a mask. Be yourself - colleagues will appreciate it.

3. Politeness, punctuality, diligence

Smooth, polite, exceptionally businesslike communication with the entire team, punctuality, responsibility, one hundred percent high-quality performance of your duties, professionalism will quickly raise you in the eyes of the team.

4. Confidence in yourself and your professionalism

Even if you are not confident in yourself, never show it. In the men's team, a demonstration of insecurity is a sign of weakness.

5. Fair fight

Fight for promotion honestly. Intrigues, lies, etc. will kill your reputation forever.

6. Devotion to business and team

Men with constant professional rivalry know how to unite in a team. If you learn to play in a team, show that the common cause is above all for you, so you will earn respect and honor.

The HeadHunter website conducted a survey of its users in order to find out how comfortable they are working in a male or female team. The answers of 4690 men and women interviewed showed that it is more convenient for both men and women to work among men. And if everything is clear with the representatives of the stronger sex - they are in their element, then how does a woman feel in a purely masculine environment?

To find out, the staff of the Indiana State University in the USA conducted a study. They chose women who work in a team where men are at least 85 percent. Throughout the experiment, the women were measured the level of the so-called stress hormone - cortisol. Studies have shown that it is much higher than the established norm.

What made women feel stressed? Russian scientists - psychologists would be among the first to name the factor of disappointed expectations. Boris Masterov, Ph.D. in Psychology, program manager of the Institute for Professional Development, an expert at the Open Society Institute, one of the main mistakes women who go to work in a men's team considers their desire to remain special, requiring help at the workplace, male attention, etc. And he makes a huge mistake. According to Boris Masterov, men at work and outside are completely different personalities.

The further course of events depends on the woman herself. If she quickly adapts "through the looking glass", then she will not bring her charter to this monastery. No coquetry, hints to help the weaker sex and other female tricks. Psychologists who study business relationships argue that men welcome this style of behavior. And the woman in this case feels more comfortable.

Boris Masterov gives examples when a woman, finding herself in a purely male team, makes another serious mistake: she immediately takes the bull by the horns, begins to develop frantic activity, take on everything, show herself everywhere, demonstrating professionalism and skills. She feels ill at ease on the second or third day. After a short time, the lady realizes that she will not be able to work in such an atmosphere. The explanation for this, according to the psychologist, is found quickly if you understand the masculine nature well.

Since a man comes to work in order to realize himself, to make a career - he will not tolerate competitors either in trousers or skirts, and even more so he will not help if he sees in a woman inclinations for career growth. There were cases when male colleagues simply “substituted” such a zealous employee in order to demonstrate to the management her professional unsuitability. As practice shows, in case of failures in the work of such a team, the first to lose their job is the “gender Varangian”.

Is it any wonder that, according to HeadHunter polls, 55 percent of women consider the difficulty of career growth to be the main problem of work among men?

No matter how strange it may sound, women who, from childhood, knew how to make friends equally well with girls and boys, are the best ones to take root in the men's team. As adults and in the men's team, they see their peers and behave accordingly. It's like in a children's team game - the rules are the same for everyone. And if something doesn't work out, you are responsible for your mistakes yourself. And if you need to help out the team, you substitute your shoulder first. With such a line of behavior, a woman soon feels herself in an ideal team. The HeadHunter company, as a result of a survey of men who have worked for a long time in a women's team and women in a men's team, found that 49 percent of men and 84 (!) Percent of women consider the atmosphere among employees to be comfortable for themselves.

In life, we constantly find ourselves in some kind of collectives. They can be temporary (in the spirit of groups that randomly gathered to attend the same excursion), or they can exist much longer (for example, classmates at a university, colleagues at work). And in the second case, building relationships with these unfamiliar, variegated people becomes a necessity. All teams have their own nuances, but women, perhaps, are most worried about how to behave in a male team. We will talk about this in our article.

What is the difference between a male team and a female or mixed team?

To begin with, let's figure out what features determine the main differences between a team, in which most people are men, from any other:

Professionalism and competitiveness. Representatives of the stronger sex are characterized by a rather powerful competitive spirit. If we are talking about a team in a rather serious company, where each employee has the potential to prove himself, then male employees will strive to use this opportunity to the maximum.

The importance of emotions and relationships is quite small. The male team, as a rule, is less emotionally cohesive than the female one. Members of such a team simply do not consider it necessary to spend time on achieving deep understanding with colleagues. At the same time, they can calmly communicate with each other on various issues (especially workers), even in the absence of such mutual understanding. And, importantly, they will put work higher than friendly relations. Therefore, men are more confident in asserting their rights, even if it means initiating a conflict.
Practice-oriented activities. Men are rational: they do something to achieve a certain result. They can draw up long-term plans, but they, as a rule, have a lot of specifics and really achievable goals.
Belief in the omnipotence of the collective. Male employees are much less likely to use the phrase “we cannot do this” than women. More often than not, no matter how difficult a task they face, they are deeply convinced that they can cope with it. However, coupled with professionalism and competitiveness, this often bears fruit. You could even say that men love such challenges in their own way, it is more interesting for them to work in such conditions, and not to sit in a comfort zone.

It is worth noting that the above features of the male team are average characteristics. It is clear that each individual representative of the stronger sex individually behaves differently: some of his features are more pronounced, some are weaker. Some of these features are often characteristic of women. However, we are talking in general about certain gender differences in the psychology of people, which are manifested quite clearly in the conditions of the collective.

Roles not worth trying on

It is necessary for a girl to behave correctly in a male team from the moment she meets her. At the same time, there are several unsuccessful roles that you should not wear on yourself, so as not to be forced to wear them constantly:

Incompetent fool. Most likely, you already need to spend some time to prove to your colleagues that you are no less promising a professional than they are. But if you initially start with a position in the spirit of “I can’t do anything, I don’t understand anything, help me everything, because I’m a girl, or because my child is crying at home,” then they will never take you seriously.

An errand girl. This is the other side of the same coin: the role of a not too smart woman, who can only do what other people's orders are. It goes without saying that if you have serious plans for work / study, etc. in this team, then you should not allow yourself to sit on your neck.
Your boyfriend. Quite often, women who find themselves in a team with men try to make friends with them like a man: they discuss football, swear, make vulgar jokes - just to formally consider themselves a part of the group. However, you must remember that you are still a woman, and femininity is one of the rather significant parts of your identity. In any team, it is preferable to be yourself.

Mommy. Another fairly common pattern of behavior: a girl in a male team begins to behave like the older sister of her colleagues. She tries to understand, help and console in a woman's way, washes dishes for men, reminds them to put on hats so that they don't catch a cold, and so on. You must understand that your colleagues are adults who have mothers, wives (or girls), and they themselves are able to take care of themselves.
Prostitute. We are talking about flirting, indulgences because of your gender, ambiguous hints, overly revealing outfits and the like. In other words, in presenting yourself as an object of desire, and not as an equal colleague. Of course, if you want to be respected as a specialist, then you should not behave this way.

With all of the above, we must note that if you are comfortable in any of these roles, stay in it to your health. Just keep in mind that you will no longer be able to change it within the framework of this team. But who knows: maybe you want to find yourself a husband, and therefore you are flirting excessively. Or you do not plan a serious career growth, and therefore ask everyone to help you constantly. Such behaviors cannot be called the most optimal, healthy and respectful in relation to yourself and others, but no one will forbid you to use them if you want to.

Basic rules of conduct in the men's team

So, now let's move on to the basic rules that you must follow if you want to harmoniously fit into the male team and gain respect for yourself as a full member of the team:

Get ready to develop professionally. In this sense, working with men is even useful: they will involuntarily stimulate you to not stand still, but to improve your qualifications if you want to be their equal.
Control your emotions. This does not mean that you should act like a cold, lifeless stone and suppress all the feelings that arise in you. Just try not to express them too violently, because men do not understand this.

Don't look for deep emotional connections. You should be focused mainly on easy friendly communication with the members of the male team, and not expect and not demand serious (even if friendly) relations from them.
Don't be afraid to ask for help, but don't abuse it either. There is nothing wrong with asking your colleagues for help sometimes (as well as helping them periodically). But you shouldn't do this all the time, because in that case, you will slip into the role of incompetent fool that we talked about earlier.
Remember you are a woman. You have the right to dress and paint beautifully, behave in accordance with your gender, and ask men to move heavy furniture if the need arises. The main thing is not to overdo it and not go into the role of a call girl.

Don't dress too revealingly. Trousers with at least a mid-rise, skirts slightly above the knee, blouses with a moderate cut and the like are clothes in which you will not lose your femininity, but will not look vulgar.
Be decisive but polite. This is another aspect where it is important to find a middle ground. On the one hand, you should not be afraid to defend your opinion in the male team. On the other hand, they should know that many representatives of the stronger sex perceive criticism rather painfully, and therefore it is tactful and polite to point out to them the shortcomings of their work.

Thus, a woman may well behave in a male team in such a way that she is comfortable and that she is perceived as no less worthy member of this team than everyone else. The main thing is to approach the solution of this issue competently and monitor your behavior in order to survive in a purely male group and achieve some success in it.