What He Said, What He Meant

FountainBlue’s August 13 When She Speaks women in leadership series program was on the topic of ‘What He Said, What He Meant’. Please join me in thanking our hosts at Samsung and our esteemed panelists. 

Our panelists represented both genders and multiple companies, industries and backgrounds. They were each passionate about the need for men and women to better communicate to drive the business imperative. Whether it helps build relationships and trust, or it helps everyone better coordinate and delegate, when a mixed-gender team can better connect and communicate, business operations improve, the culture is healthier, and the people are happier in general.

Below are some areas where men and women might differ, in general.

• Women tend to be more emotional.
• Women tend to be more inclusive and collaborative.
• Women might be more likely to speak in a stream of consciousness.
• Women might be more sensitive to how something is communicated.
• Men might come across as more confident.
• Men might seek logical explanations more quickly.
• Men might be less verbose.
• Men might be more direct and confrontational, but may not intend it to be personal.

Below are some best practices for better communicating with men.

• Assume positive intent.
• Understand motivations and intentions.
• Manage your own emotions, especially preventing yourself from ‘looping’ when emotions run high. Know your own trigger points and help yourself get centered.
• Focus on getting the job done.
• Accept that there are different communication styles, but act as one integrated team, focusing on collaborating to get the job done.
• Be open-minded and flexible.
• Be curious, ask questions.
• Trust your instincts but communicate with data.
• Don’t be intimidated.
• Have confidence.
• Help each other understand and succeed.

The bottom line is that if you can understand and accept gender differences in communication and work through communication challenges, you and your team will more likely deliver results.

Resource: Why Men and Women Think Differently? This Guy Nailed It https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rkZvLHiaHQc

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