Gender and Workplace Communication

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Gender and Workplace Communication

• Advancing Women in Leadership
• Kristina Horn Sheeler, PhD
• 5 February 2008

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Todays Objectives

• Consider the relationship between effective
  workplace communication and worker productivity,
  retention, and overall happiness.
• Gain an understanding of the different
  communication styles male and female managers may
  use in the workplace and the corresponding value
  placed on each.
• Learn strategies leading to more effective
  workplace communication between women and men.

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Communication and the Bottom Line

• Productivity and Effectiveness
• Job Retention Rates
• Cost of replacing worker 150 of salary
• Happiness and Morale
• Harassment Issues
• Worker Injury, Sick Leave, Health Issues
• Sales, Negotiation, and Customer Service

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Your Perceptions

• What are your top three work-related priorities?
• What do you believe are the top three
  work-related priorities and strengths of the men
  / women with whom you work?
• What do you believe are the top three priorities
  of your workplace in general?

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Workplace Values

• Men
• Pay and Benefits
• Achievement and Success
• Status and Authority
• Strengths of Men at Work
• Goal orientation
• Tangible accomplishments
• Problem solving
• Singleness of purpose
• Responsiveness to challenge

see "Tips for Better Communication Between Men
and Women in the Workplace" by Simma Lieberman
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Workplace Values

• Women
• Friends at Work and Relationships
• Recognition and Respect
• Communication and Collaboration
• Strengths of Women at Work
• Harmony, balance, nurturance, serenity,
  creativity, vision
• Teamwork and collaboration
• Detail oriented

see "Creating Healthy Corporate Cultures for Both
Genders," 2004 study for Lluminari
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Workplace Values

• Men more likely to emphasize
• How much they earn and how much control or power
  they have over what they are doing
• Women more likely to emphasize
• The congeniality of coworkers and the
  friendliness and relationships that surround them

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Who is Leadership Material?

• How do you define a leader?
• Which values and strengths identified earlier
  correspond with your view of leadership?
• Women are at a disadvantage.

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Women and Leadership

• 50 of management, professional and related
  occupations
• 15.6 of Fortune 500 Corporate Officers
• 14.6 of Fortune 500 Boards of Directors

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Women and Leadership Dilemmas

• Extreme Perceptions
• Too soft or too tough, but never just right
• My observations show senior women to be at
  either end of the spectrum. Drivers that do it
  themselves this type tends to give little
  recognition and is a perfectionist. The others
  are very effective delegators, giving lots of
  recognition and building loyal teams, but can be
  perceived as not tough enough.
• (U.S. man, age 35-44, level not specified)
• Also see Deborah Tannens
• Talking from 9 to 5.

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Women and Leadership Dilemmas

• Higher Competence / Lower Rewards
• Work harder to achieve the same or less reward or
  recognition
• Men and women are seen differently, and the
  difference in my experience and observation is
  that we (women) need to show it more times before
  they believe it. With a woman, they will want to
  see the behavior repeated more frequently before
  they will say that this is really part of the
  woman and her capabilities. (European woman,
  high-potential manager)

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Women and Leadership Dilemmas

• Competent but Disliked
• It may just be that people are more sensitive
  to how women behave. There does seem to be a
  little more tolerance for harsh behavior from men
  rather than women. Women are quicker to get
  labeled, and with men, its easier to brush it
  off (High-potential woman, U.S.-based
  manager)I have experienced in the past that
  women can be distrusted in leadership roles,
  especially when they use a dominant style of
  communication. On the contrary, if they use a
  collaborative style serving their organization
  and empowering people, they get more recognition
  and sincere appreciation from their male equals
  (Spanish man, age 31-35, middle management).

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Communication Styles Report and Rapport

• Based on what we learned growing up, we were
  socialized to display differences in
• The purpose of communication
• How, when, and how long to communicate
• How to communicate with subordinates, peers, and
  superiors
• Expectations for communication rituals
• Communicating about tasks vs. emotions
• How to process information and make decisions

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Rapport Style

• Indirect Style
• Use of Qualifiers, Succinct style
• Apologizing
• Taking Blame
• Thanks
• Maintaining an Appearance of Equality,
  Downplaying Qualifications
• Considering the Other Person, Relationship
• Downplaying Authority

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Report Style

• Direct Requests
• Longer Talk at Meetings
• Ritual Fighting, Teasing, Banter
• Giving Advice to Solve Problems rather than
  Showing Support
• Mixing Business and Non-business talk
• Rarely Give Praise or Compliments
• Avoiding the One-down Position, Downplaying Doubts

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Styles Side by Side

• More Direct
• Longer Meeting Talk
• Task-oriented
• Independence
• Sports, Politics Talk
• Downplay Doubts
• Verbal Opposition
• Solve Problems when Something Wrong
• Independent Decision-maker

• Less Direct
• Disclaimers, Succinct Meeting Talk
• Relationship-oriented
• Personal Talk
• Downplay Certainty
• Ritual Apology
• Give Praise when Something Right
• Collaborative Decision-maker

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Strategies for Communication Success

• Take these recommendations with a grain of
  salt.
• Stay aware
• Be aware of stereotypes
• Many styles can be effective
• Styles are strategies

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Women Neutral Authoritative Style

• Dont act like a man
• Be succinct, but not abrupt
• Avoid tag questions, apologies, disclaimers
• Take credit
• Give updates
• Reduce personal disclosure and problems
• Handle conflict directly, politely, with empathy

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Neutral Authoritative Style

• Make some decisions independently
• Avoid strong displays of emotion
• When interrupted, be direct and courteous to take
  back the floor
• Liking isnt always required to accomplish the
  task
• Dont get bogged down in details
• Communicate your vision
• Be flexible

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How Can Report Style Communicate with Rapport
Style?

• Dont Assume Indirect Less Competent
• Insert a little discloser when appropriate
• Maintain direct, but not constant eye contact
• Say please and thank you once in a while
• Avoid interrupting, actively listen
• Offer details more often

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How Can Report Style Communicate with Rapport
Style?

• Ask others for input
• Watch for nonverbal signs
• Recognize intentions may be different from words
• Say Im sorry once in a while show empathy
• Dont underestimate someone who doesnt talk
  about accomplishments
• Be flexible

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Conclusions

• Effective communication impacts the bottom line
• We all carry our stereotypes and biases into the
  workplace.
• Understanding is the key
• Be open to a variety of communication strategies

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For more information

• Kristina Horn Sheeler, PhD
• Assistant Professor of Communication Studies
• IUPUI
• 317.278.3161
• ksheeler_at_iupui.edu