Socializing and Learning

I can recall what it was like growing up in a home where all of the men worked in the trades. They came home after a long day at work and slipped off their boots and the socks that were glued to their feet and ate the lovely meal that mama had prepared and got washed up. Men would wander by and they would chat about the new things that they had learned or saw that day at work. Sometimes they’d do a mock-up and practise a tough concept or go over it in their minds. It might also be the case that they ran over to a friend’s place to help him with something trade related. Imagine the benefit from a learning perspective that this type of downtime meant? A man wasn’t only exposed to trade related learning at work.

Contrast that with how a woman in trades might end her day. She comes home from work, peels off the socks that have glued themselves to her feet and the dog is bouncing around and the kids are starving and there are 5 loads of laundry to be done. She runs a cloth over her face, throws something in the oven, starts the washer and asks little Sarah if she has any homework. Little Sarah then tells her mother that she has to bring cupcakes in tomorrow for the bake sale and that she needs 2 sheets of Bristol board and it has to be black.

This difference has an impact on women’s learning. I was thinking about this the other day and it occurred to me that men had an advantage in trades over women because of course they get to talk about new projects, solve problems, cement new ideas in the brain – it’s part of the learning process.

Sitting around and leisurely discussing work is often not an option for women who have a double day. There may not be any time or opportunity for her to relive her day or think about a new technique.

What can be done about this? A woman must look at her reality and recognize that she is responsible for her own training and professional development. She must then create opportunities for learning.

One possible solution is to make a concerted effort to network – whether you use social networking or online help and chats. It is essential to have those conversations about your work. A second option is to develop relationships with other men onsite even though that will be tough. The key is to create opportunities for learning. It will benefit you in the long run.

Sometimes when a woman asks for help onsite, it is used as evidence that she is not suited for the job. Men, on the other hand have plenty of opportunities, both formal and informal, to acquire help with skills development and it is never mentioned.

Recognize this distinction - create opportunities of learning in spite of….