Do Men And Women Speak a Different Language?
You may feel comfortable speaking to a person of the opposite sex, but it could very well not be the case. Men and women do in fact speak a different language. At least they have a different vocabulary. For example, men use more swearing, expressions of hostility, and expletives. Women use 5 – 7 times more intensifiers, hedges, fillers and qualifiers.
Women say things like…
‘kind of’
‘sort of’
‘maybe’
‘possibly’
Even phrases like…
‘I know you’re awfully busy, but…’
‘I’m sorry to bother you, but…’
‘I hope you don’t mind, but…’
And men will say things like…
‘Well, I am busy’
‘You are bothering me’
‘Actually, I do mind’
The bottom line when considering the different language between men and women is that men need to knock off the cussing and swearing and women need to cut out the hedges and qualifiers to be more straightforward and confident.
So, by making these minor adjustments you will be able to work more comfortably with others on your team and not distract from the value of their ideas. For more ideas on improving gender communication within your organization, watch this presentation.
Don’t forget to stop back in next Monday for another video blog.