KPR CORNER...

When I was in high school I thought how great it would be to work in an office with all women. It's a classic example of the be careful what you wish for because today I am the only man working in an office with eleven women, and believe me, sometimes it feels like wearing a black tux to an all white party.

The differences of working in a female-dominated office are actually quite subtle. We all work hard, are consummate professionals, and are extremely proud of the work we do. Surprisingly, there are less of the female behavioral generalizations than one might expect; you know, the boy talk and celebrity gossip. The devil is in the details, the small occurrences each day that provide excellent insight into the working minds of the female. Enter at your own risk:

“Fall is purse time!” I underestimated the importance of the purse. To me it is a bag to carry one’s important daily items, but in a female-dominated office the purse is God-like. When one brings in a new purse, especially a Chanel, Prada or Double Saddled Dior, the office turns into an utter frenzy of excitement.  The daily chatter turns to confusing phrases such as, “Is it from New York?” and “This bag definitely satisfies, it does not disappoint!” and my personal favorite, “I get goose bumps when I look at it.” I will never again devalue the importance a bag holds in completing an outfit.

Eleven Pinot Grigios and a beer please. Lunch and happy hour are two perfect examples. Yes, walking into a restaurant with eleven beautiful women has its perks, yet it is strange sitting at a table and being the only one not eating a salad. It's the perfect example of the Black Tux Syndrome. When we venture to our favorite watering hole after work it usually ends up being an entire table of white wine and one golden-brown beer. One guess as to who’s drinking the beer! And of course I can’t forget about diet talk. From counting calories to the South Beach and Weight Watchers, there can never be enough diet talk. The funny thing is they all look great, and rarely shy away from adding on dessert to lunch or dinner. Love it!

The morning debrief. This is a phenomenon that definitely took me by surprise. The morning debrief is either a one-on-one talk of the past night’s events, or a group session. The group sessions usually include quite a bit of laughing, excited high pitched talking and sometimes a little screaming. The morning debrief grows exponentially in importance when it comes the morning after an evening the office went out together.

There are three extremely important tips men must learn to survive the estrogen infused office: Grow thick skin, develop selective hearing, and understand the initial fulfillment that being the best looking, funniest guy at the office quickly loses its appeal when the realization sets in that you are the only guy at the office. Bummer. However, after one learns that if you can’t beat ‘em  join ‘em, the weight of the entire male population is lifted off your shoulders as you accept the role of the token male. I have earned my place in the annals of skewed working conditions, acceptance is key.

Mani's and pedi's anyone?

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