Communication

It's always a conundrum when it comes to communication between the sexes. So here's an interesting article from Aasthra Dogra at Buzzle.com. See what you think...

When it comes to communication, men and women might seem like enigmas to one another. For men, communication is all about exchanging of information, figures and facts. For women, communication is a way to connect with and improve upon their relationship with the other person. Since these two have completely different reasons for communicating, just imagine how frustrating and contentious it can get, if they do not understand how they communicate differently! So, to help both the genders have smooth conversations, given below is some useful information, which will help them understand each other's point of view. 
Communication Style at the Workplace

Women
Women at workplace are proponents of equality. They display the same caring and sensitive attitude to fellow employees or subordinates, as they do to people they know personally. This workplace communication style may however be seen as a sign of low confidence by the men in workplace. Also, while arriving at a decision or while negotiating, women ensure that everybody's aware of the situation. They may seek opinions of others more than men in positions of authority would, this however may make the men think that the woman is incapable of taking decisions herself. 

Men
Men and women's communication styles vary a lot in the workplace too. Men do not like to ask a lot of questions at the workplace as they feel that doing so is a sign of weakness. Men also indulge in a lot of teasing, joking, pulling each other's legs as making fun of one another is their way of relaxing and taking their mind off work for a while! This behavior may not be taken too kindly by women who find it very immature! Lastly, men, true to their nature of not speaking much, do not give much feedback, whether positive or negative! So, if there are women working under them, they might feel that they are not being appreciated enough. 

The Solution
For overcoming communication difference in the workplace, both men and women need to stop making assumptions or judging each other. Instead of finding faults with each other's communication styles, they should see how a particular behavior is helpful or not helpful in achieving the organizational goals. Men should be more forthcoming while receiving and giving feedback while women should be more assertive and not depend too much on other's opinions, while making decisions.

 
So what do you think? Do you and your team need to think more about communication? Why not contact us at Eventus to see how our events team can help tailor our team building programmes and events to suit your needs.