The more resources an attorney has in his/her business development tool box, the higher the likelihood is for business relationships to begin, expand and lead to new work. Business development collaboration between men and women is one such tool. Today, buyers of legal services are increasingly diverse. They hail from many countries, possess a variety of ethnic backgrounds and widely span age ranges. Men and women working closely together can possess the different yet compatible strengths and approaches needed to attract the attention and develop relationships with such a multidimensional marketplace.
For example, research indicates that many women’s brains have a complex structure that enables them to attend to small nuances in communication. For example a slight change in vocal tone or raised eyebrow that might signal skepticism in a woman might be missed by her male counterpart. On the other hand, a man whose brain often facilitates focused thinking and “cut to the chase” conversations may be the one in a gender duo who assures that business development conversations stay on topic and are concise.
Some psychological research leans towards underscoring the propensity for individuals to bond easier with people who tend to be like themselves—same gender, similar age, background etc. Engaging in a collaborative process, particularly with teams comprised of both genders, allows for flexibility to select a team member who may bond best with a particular individual of interest. With the number of women generals counsel as well as the number of women CEOs increasing, the selection of a particular leader for a business development effort could differentiate the team from a competitor firm.
The different ways men and women may approach relationships and developing business are generalizations based on a variety of research findings. However, the importance of collaboration among individuals with who possess different legal expertise, ways of relating and personality styles broadens and strengthens the capability of groups to effectively reach out and build relationships. A professional’s matrix of connections is the foundational ingredient for generating business. Gender collaboration expands the power of “one” and leverages the strengths of differences.