- Jun 13, 2012
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I know there are many different personalities and styles of interaction, but is there actually an overarching "typical" communication style that differs between men and women in business settings?
I mention it because I have always found that women are very, very difficult for me to communicate with. (I should clarify that I'm a woman, so as not to confuse.) I get along fine with other women in social settings. But over the years I have noticed, at least in my experience, that I'm far less likely to accomplish something if I have to depend on other women to get it done. I was reminded of this today when I was tackling a set of problems that had been on the backburner for awhile, and spent the whole day on the phone talking to a dozen different people.
When a woman answered, I was far more likely to get a response like, "I'm sorry, there's nothing I can do," or "Unfortunately, that's all I know." Whereas when a man answered the phone, I consistently got answers like "Let me see how we can troubleshoot that," or "If I can put you on hold for a minute, I can go find out." I don't believe I'm being sexist in this observation, since it is simply my experience. There was actually only one woman who was of any use to me today, and she sounded very young. It's as if women get older and just feel entitled to answer phones and collect a paycheck. Whereas the men want to accomplish their duties. It really makes me reflect on myself and how I treat people. Do I try to fix their problems or just get them off the phone? I honestly think I try to fix their problems, because I actually take pride in it and it stresses me out to go home at the end of the day and feel like I left someone hanging.
I've also considered that maybe I just have a way of communicating which subconsciously offends women, and perhaps makes them unwilling to be helpful. My husband says I can be blunt and confrontational. That may be so, though I make an effort not to, but it doesn't seem to deter men from doing their jobs. What are other people's experiences on this? Is there a difference between how men and women should be communicated with?
I mention it because I have always found that women are very, very difficult for me to communicate with. (I should clarify that I'm a woman, so as not to confuse.) I get along fine with other women in social settings. But over the years I have noticed, at least in my experience, that I'm far less likely to accomplish something if I have to depend on other women to get it done. I was reminded of this today when I was tackling a set of problems that had been on the backburner for awhile, and spent the whole day on the phone talking to a dozen different people.
When a woman answered, I was far more likely to get a response like, "I'm sorry, there's nothing I can do," or "Unfortunately, that's all I know." Whereas when a man answered the phone, I consistently got answers like "Let me see how we can troubleshoot that," or "If I can put you on hold for a minute, I can go find out." I don't believe I'm being sexist in this observation, since it is simply my experience. There was actually only one woman who was of any use to me today, and she sounded very young. It's as if women get older and just feel entitled to answer phones and collect a paycheck. Whereas the men want to accomplish their duties. It really makes me reflect on myself and how I treat people. Do I try to fix their problems or just get them off the phone? I honestly think I try to fix their problems, because I actually take pride in it and it stresses me out to go home at the end of the day and feel like I left someone hanging.
I've also considered that maybe I just have a way of communicating which subconsciously offends women, and perhaps makes them unwilling to be helpful. My husband says I can be blunt and confrontational. That may be so, though I make an effort not to, but it doesn't seem to deter men from doing their jobs. What are other people's experiences on this? Is there a difference between how men and women should be communicated with?