Desiree Simons recently published an article on Glasshammer.com titled “Say It Like You Mean It: How to Communicate Effectively at Work.” In pointing out that communicating with male colleagues can seem like “trying to put a puzzle together without all of the pieces,” the article discussed three skills that can help women more effectively communicate with their male counterparts. The article acknowledged that, although men and women have different communication styles, one is not better than the other. Furthermore, while “diverse gender skill sets” are beneficial to a workplace, knowing when and how to adapt and use a different approach is key and can be the “game changer.”
1. Get to the Point
Women tend to give more of a backstory than men before getting to the point and should omit the narrative if it is unnecessary. Additionally, women often hedge and use qualifiers, such as “Do you think? What if we? Don’t you think?” and “Have you considered?” These phrases, including saying, “I feel…” can make women appear less confident. Instead, Ms. Simons suggests speaking in a more assertive fashion by using phrases such as, “I’ll need that by” “Let’s plan for” and “We must.” As a practical point, experts suggest that women create bullet points in their minds before going into a meeting and say what they think, not what they feel.
