Communication and Gender After doing my research on communication between men and woman, I found it quite interesting that

they communicate the same, but yet so differently. It was very interesting for me to see that men are able to discuss just about any topic and be able to agree to disagree and still be able to continue on with what they were doing. On the other hand woman take communication so much more seriously and actually process what is being talked about and takes to heart what is being said. You will see in my findings just how interesting this topic is. You will also see that both men and woman communicate the same but it is how it is processed by woman that makes communication so different. Workplace Communication I believe that men and women do communicate differently. There are several differences in the way that men and women communicate differently. According to Roz Usheroff (2002), women tend to take things more personally than men (p.6). Women are more sensitive to criticism than men are. Women are also more emotional when they transfer information. Usheroff notes that men can direct digs at each other in a meeting yet are able to leave laughing, together (p.6). Women on the other hand hold onto the negative feelings and avoid contact with the person. Another difference between men and women is that men tend to focus on the process rather than the relationship. Men avoid expressing their feelings of emotion and discomfort whereas women like to talk on an emotional level and seek to bring feelings into conversations (Usheroff). A third way that men and women are different when communicating is that women thrive on relationship building. Women use conversations to build and sustain interaction with others (Usheroff). Women are more open with their feelings and share personal information voluntarily whereas men stay away from personal topics. Lastly, according to

Usheroff, women tend to be more detailed, descriptive, and begin the subject from the beginning rather than the end (p.6). Women have a habit of sharing too many facts and this can cause men to think that women are long-winded and lack confidence. Differences in communication between men and women do make a difference in the workplace. Diane Kunde (1994) stated that communication tangles can cause stress and conflict at a time when teamwork is increasingly important. When working on projects men get straight to work on a task and build relationships while working on the project (Braedy Svecz). Women on the other hand accomplish tasks by building relationships first (Braedy Svecz). Communication differences can also lead to inequality in the workplace. There are many women in the workforce full time but there is a biased amongst men that keep women from climbing the corporate ladder. For example, men have an unconscious belief that women are not in the workforce permanently and do not want to move up or stay. This biased can lead to women being overlooked for a promotion or not given clients that require long-term attention (Paulson, p. 5). Even though men and women communicate differently there are ways to bridge the gap. First men and women must try to understand how the other gender thinks (Paulson). Both genders need to be aware of the others verbal and nonverbal style of communication in order to avoid miscommunication and work better together (Lieberman). Men and women also need to be aware of unconscious biases and be open to breaking past them (Lieberman). Men need to listen better, not give unsolicited advice, and try to talk sometimes about people and feelings at work (Kunde). Women need to be more succinct and to the point, avoid disclaimers, and lighten up a bit (Kunde). If men and women work together to understand each others communication styles they will be able to work better together and achieve more goals.

References Braedyn Svecz, A. (2010). Gender communication: The impact gender has on effective communication . Retrieved Aug 8, 2010, from http://trainingpd.suite101.com/article.cfm/gender-communication Kunde, Diana. (1994, March 12). Talking it out is best solution to workplace gender gap :[Final Edition]. The Ottawa Citizen,p. J2 WORKLIFE. Retrieved August 3, 2010, from ProQuest Newsstand. (Document ID: 180857741). Lieberman, S. (2010). Gender communication differences and strategies. Retrieved Aug 8, 2010, from http://superperformance.com/gendercommunication.html Paulson, Joanne. (2001, June 6). `Great minds think unalike': Men, women should work on workplace communication: expert :[Final Edition]. Star - Phoenix,p. D5. Retrieved August 3, 2010, from Canadian Newsstand Complete. (Document ID: 243549111). Usheroff, Roz. (2002, May). Important gender communication differences. Administrative Assistant's Update,6: Page count = 1. Retrieved August 3, 2010, from Career and Technical Education. (Document ID: 120583179).