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OK, I'll stick my head above the parapet. Mary Evans claims that female staff fill the emotional gaps left by poor male managers and that "institutional life publicly marginalises the personal" (Soapbox, August 19). The evidence would suggest that she has a point. But there is a quid pro quo, for me at least. As a manager, I have found it necessary to spend far more time helping female staff than male employees resolve "emotional" issues even though the gender balance of the teams that have worked with me has been roughly 50/50.

Phil Howard
Preston