Debunking stereotypes in decision-making

Erica Driver, strategist at QlikTech, argues that the creative right brain way of thinking stereotypically associated with women can be an advantage in business

Have you ever been called a right-brain thinker? If so, creativity, innovation and the ability to view situations as a whole may be some of the skills you pride yourself on. Male or female, young or old, we all like to have faith in our own way of thinking, but women are often expected to embody the right-brain characteristics listed above, especially when it comes to business. So why is this? And more importantly, how can women revert from this stereotype and expand their potential?

The theory of a right and left side of the brain was developed by Roger W. Sperry following his work with epilepsy sufferers. Awarded the Nobel Prize in 1981, Sperry found that by dividing the brain's two hemispheres, communication pathways could be altered. Patients suddenly found themselves unable to recall the names of objects processed by the right hand side, suggesting language was controlled by the left hand side. Further research has since shown the right is linked to expression and emotion. It controls reactions to music, colour and image, values inherent in females and associated with artistry and intuition. The left side is more adept at tasks involving logic, language and analysis. Calculation, reasoning and critical thinking are often features described as naturally male.

The part of the software industry I work in is business intelligence (BI). It focuses on helping people derive insights and make better business decisions based on data. When I usually start to talk about my job, most people instinctively think about activities associated with the left-brain such as analysis, calculations and logic. But not all business problems can be solved with numbers alone. It takes a certain kind of mind to be able to find the meaning in black and white rows and columns of numbers.