Adaptive Communication

Effective communication involves adapting your style to your audience, whether it’s a child, a newcomer, a senior, or a boss. Gender differences can add another layer of complexity. Understanding these differences can enhance mutual understanding and benefit.

Tips for Enhancing Cross-Gender Communication

For Men:

• Frame ideas as suggestions with background information.
• Acknowledge others’ ideas and contributions.
• Avoid jostling or teasing humor, and invite others’ opinions.
• When a woman is under stress, listen without interrupting.
• Use paraphrasing, reflect feelings, and don’t try to solve the problem immediately.
• In informal conversations, include personal content like family, health, or activities.

For Women:

• Share ideas without waiting for an invitation.
• Make statements rather than suggestions or questions.
• Be concise and stay on track.
• Take up more physical space.
• Reduce the use of superlatives, apologies, and qualifiers.
• Volunteer relevant credentials.
• Ask directly for what you want.
• In informal conversations, include topics like sports, politics, Money, or jobs.

Adapting your communication style to consider gender differences can lead to more effective and harmonious interactions. Practice and commitment to these adjustments can greatly enhance understanding and collaboration in today’s diverse world.

Originally Published on https://boomersnotsenior.blogspot.com/

Royce Shook Blogger

I served as a teacher, a teacher on Call, a Department Head, a District Curriculum, Specialist, a Program Coordinator, and a Provincial Curriculum Coordinator over a forty year career. In addition, I was the Department Head for Curriculum and Instruction, as well as a professor both online and in person at the University of Phoenix (Canada) from 2000-2010.

I also worked with Special Needs students. I gave workshops on curriculum development and staff training before I fully retired