Business Communication

According to William Scott in his ‘Organisation Theory’, business communication is defined as ‘a process which involves the transmission and accurate replication of ideas ensured by feedback for the purpose of eliciting actions which will accomplish organizations goals’.

Business Communication is used to promote a product, service, or organization; relay information within the business; or deal with legal and similar issues. It is also a means of relying between a supply chain, for example the consumer and manufacturer.

At its most basic level, the purpose of communication in the workplace is to provide employees with the information they need to do their jobs.

Business Communication can also refer to internal communication. A communications director will typically manage internal communication and craft messages sent to employees. It is vital that internal communications are managed properly because a poorly crafted or managed message could foster distrust or hostility from employees.

There are several methods of business communication, including:

Web-based communication – for better and improved communication, anytime anywhere …
e-mails, which provide an instantaneous medium of written communication worldwide;
Reports – important in documenting the activities of any department;
Presentations – very popular method of communication in all types of organizations, usually involving audiovisual material, like copies of reports, or material prepared in Microsoft PowerPoint or Adobe Flash;
Telephoned meetings, which allow for long distance speech;
Forum boards, which allow people to instantly post information at a centralized location; and
Face to face meetings, which are personal and should be succeeded by a written follow-up.

Why are communication skills in business essential?

In any form of business, communication is an internal as well as an external affair. The success of the business rests upon communication and it has become all the more essential due to the following reasons:

Increase in size: Business firms have grown tremendously in scale of operations. A large business firm today employs thousands of people and has factories or offices in different parts of the world. The head office of the company must always be in close touch with branch offices. An efficient system of communication is required for this purpose.

Growing specialization:  Narrow division of work results in different activities being handled by different departments. Due to narrow outlook every department tends to overstress its own work. Sound communication is essential for ensuring mutual co-operation and understanding between different departments. Otherwise the organisation cannot function smoothly. If, for example, there is no communication between production and sales departments, the sales department might book orders which the production department cannot supply.

Technological advancements:  Rapid changes in science and technology lead to obsolescence of technology and knowledge. In order to upgrade or modernise technology, management must persuade employees to accept new technology. Regular training of staff becomes necessary to update their knowledge and to provide them the skills needed to apply new technology.

Cut-throat competition:  Liberalisation and globalisation have resulted in severe competition between different sectors of business. Persuasive communication in the form of advertisements, personal contacts and publicity becomes essential to survive in the race of competition.

Trade union movement:  In all business sectors, employee unions are very strong and powerful. Management must consult union leaders on several matters. Regular exchange of information and ideas between managers and union officials helps to maintain healthy relations between them.

Human relations: Effective communication between management and employees is necessary to develop mutual trust and confidence. Participation of employees in the decision-making process and other means of communication help to develop among employees a sense of belonging and loyalty to the organisation.

Public relations: Society expects more and more from managers. Business has to keep Government, distributors, suppliers, investors and other sections of society well-informed about its contributions to society. Public relations help business to improve its image in society and big enterprises employ professional experts for this purpose.

Personal asset: Communication skill is essential for success in every job. Managers are required to deliver speeches, write documents and conduct interviews. The ability to communicate effectively is equally essential for promotion in career.

Essential Communication Skills for Managers

Good communication is the foundation of good managerial skills. In fact, communication skills for managers are a part of management studies also. All would-be managers are trained in this. It is essential not only for the growth and success of the company but also for the personal growth.

However, just theoretical knowledge is not enough. If a manager does not possess practical communication skills, he would fail. He may have all the requisite technical skills, know the business and policies but fail to communicate effectively. This inadequacy overshadows the other skills.

Generally, the main problem is that the effort to communicate is missing. Also, in some cases there is no effort on behalf of the organization to introduce some measure or plan to improve communication skills for the managers.

The real question here is how to develop these communication skills for the managers. The answer is innovation and a little bit of effort. Find below specified some of the ways in which mangers can improve their communication skills.

The first thing that an organization needs to do is to gauge the communication skills of the managers through an evaluation of the performance of their routine activities. The human resource department of a company should implement some target and performance specific activities. Then, conduct various surveys and audits throughout the year to measure the communication skills of the mangers and supervisors.

Another method is to conduct training for the managers to teach them interpersonal communication skills. In this kind of training, the managers should be taught topics such as measuring the quality of personal communication; how to recognize the obstacles to good communication; developing interpersonal behavior to create healthy working relationships; non-verbal communication skills; developing active listening skills; giving and receiving feedback.

Apart from these, a number of other communication activities should be organized to develop communication skills of the managers. These activities include organizing communication audit for each mangers area of responsibility. Team sessions or periodic workshops on staff communication skills can be conducted.

A regular newssheet or an email newsletter should be sent to all the staff members in a particular area of activity. This should explain to the manager the importance of the need of the employers and thus suggesting them how to deal with these needs.

They should conduct regular meetings to review the performance of all the employees in the company rather than the customary practice of six monthly or quarterly reviews. This will keep the managers alert too.

Finally, the most important tip to develop communication skills for managers is to recognize their own strengths and weaknesses. Only a managers inner potential can make him a good communicator.

Role of Communication in the Workplace

Most organizations understand the need and importance of effective communication in the workplace and therefore concentrate to improve its standard. These organizations strongly believe that communication is the central point of all activities and everything else revolves around it.

To achieve the desired standard of workplace communication, constant efforts are required. Any failure in workplace communication results in chaos and defeated purposes. To avoid these situations, organizations need to make specific yardsticks and follow them strictly. Proper flow of communication in the workplace ensures harmony of objectives among all individuals. Any gap in communication or miscommunication hampers the coordination between various departments.

The methods followed for effective workplace communication vary among organizations. And the size and objectives play an important role to choose the best method to be applied. In a big organization both verbal and written communication are vital whereas, in small organization only verbal communication would be enough.

Communication is an exchange of information and it helps people understand the possible outcome of business processes. Therefore, it is important that the media chosen for communication is familiar among all people so that people can easily attain and provide information. To increase the effectiveness of workplace communication, a balanced combination of formal and informal means is beneficial. Gossip and rumors are indeed effective ways to circulate information and receive feedback.

Communication helps decide upon and achieve professional and personal goals. It is important for top level executives and managers to communicate with their juniors and clear their doubts. Regular interactions among various executives, ensures the meaningfulness and authenticity of information. It helps executives build positive attitude and strengthen their beliefs.

Effective communication can be done using various internal journals, magazines, pamphlets and intranet. They can serve as official proof of the happening of an event and other information.

Effective listening and trusting the speaker are two essential elements which help people concentrate on the subject matter of communication. While communicating, all people should keep the objectives of communication in mind and avoid any bias towards each other.

Communication in the workplace establishes a bond among people of various departments and converts them into one specific identity. Effective communication helps people save their precious time and increase personal and professional productivity.

Attempts should be made to seek feedback from the receivers of information to ensure that communication has actually taken place. Without a proper feedback, the process of effective communication is incomplete.

Several kinds of information are circulated in an organization on a daily basis but people need to understand which information is relevant for them and which is not. Communication in the workplace helps people understand what is expected of them and how to convert their talent into performance.

The first big impact that communication skills can have on a company are on the employees. If the employees feel that they can easily communicate with the top level executives, the communication inspires them to become more loyal and hard working. The company can become a better place to work with a better production level.

Another benefit is that good communication skills there would be drastic reduction of mistakes and misunderstandings. When there is greater and more effective interaction between the employees, there will be lesser number of mistakes and misunderstandings. This is beneficial for a company as it would save a great deal of time, effort and money for the company.

Communication skills also take a great role in selling. People thus realize how and which client they should deal with, this in turn increases the business for the company. These are few examples of the benefits that good communication skills can render to a business entity while in actuality, there are many more benefits.

Achieving effective business communication

Effective communication is considered to be one of the most important prerequisites of corporate success. That is why a large number of organizations are engaged in building a network of internal as well as external effective business communication.

Effective business communication enables an organization to market itself in a better perspective. It helps create a favorable brand image and enhance its relationships with public and the media. It helps an organization motivate and guide its employees and share the values of corporate culture. With effective business communication, the employees can easily be told about the corporate culture, visions, plans and strategies.

It also allows an organization to achieve better business negotiations and strengthen the bond with its customers. Therefore, to achieve success an organization needs to have employees with excellent business communication skills.

People with good communication skills are very successful in motivating others and therefore tend to lead people in a desired direction efficiently. Good business communication leads to enhanced business leadership skills. To empower an organization with effective communication skills some steps are required to be taken.

To know the degree of communication gap, a survey needs to be done in form of questionnaire and one to one basis, if possible. This is very helpful to know the root of the problem. After getting the feedback, a review is done and all the areas which are found related with the problem are worked upon. It is important to consider those areas to avoid any problem in future.

Take all the steps required to tackle the situation. Duly inform about the changes and improvements to all who will be affected by them. It helps make a positive effect on those people. Sometimes, it is also possible that organizations overshadow these requirements to achieve their corporate objectives. They need to understand the importance of effective business communication and its effect on the business.

Communication affects an organization internally as well as externally. Any negative news floating within the organization should be cleared immediately through effective communication. Otherwise, it will become a belief and affect the productivity of individuals along with that of the organization.

All individuals who require communication training should be provided that and their performance should be reviewed on regular intervals. There are organizations which involve their employees in these kinds of programs. And, most of the organizations have actually been benefited by these training programs.

Always remember that effective business communication is a two way process and positive results can be achieved only with the combined efforts of the organization and the individuals. To achieve success both of them must understand and perform their role well.

 

 

Dr.R.Senapathi, Director, Department of Management Studies, Adhiparasakthi Engineering College, Melmaruvathur, Tamilnadu, India.

Email: drsenapathi@gmail.com

Take back control and put an end to your hostile workplace this very moment, get Work Laws Exposed right now. You can’t alter a situation you don’t like and don’t deserve without having an open mind, believing in yourself, and taking action.

Why are people so openly hostile to overweight women?

They make comments outloud and they would never do that to someone who is handicapped or something. It’s astonishing. Even in the workplace the overweight are somehow discounted.
PS – I am only a bit overweight but since I’ve gained the 25 lbs or so (due to meds) I have noticed a difference from some people. I am mostly talking about overweight woman as in 200 lbs. or more.

Answer
because people grew up with the idea that extra pounds are not atractive in women specially,that fat women are ugly and some other comments i’ve heard, wich is stupid because female anatomy is made to keep fat around hips,thigs, breast etc…and we see everyday anorexic women with no curves that are considered “hot”. Now times are changing and people are getting healthier and curvier. So don’t feel bad about it. It’s all about the attitude, if you act like you don’t care about them and you’re proud of your body eventually their closed minds will open a little bit and see all the beauty around.

The skills you need to communicate depend on factors like where you work, what you do, and who you work with.  When these factors change, you may need to adjust how you communicate.  Nevertheless, there are certain “core” categories of communication skills that will be useful in any situation and at any time.  Eight of these are listed below:

1. Conflict Management:  Being able to initiate conversations about difficult topics is an important skill.  Equally important is the ability to work through differences.

2. Dealing With Difficult People:  Sometimes you have to work with people whose standard approach is to be hostile and negative.  Knowing how to recognize the behaviors of such people and manage your interactions with them is a useful skill.

3. Presentation:  Whether you are talking to one person or fifty, you need to present your ideas in a way that is focused and coherent.  You also need to ensure that your presentation approach is effective and that your content is meaningful.  These skills are valuable for maintaining your current position and for pursuing career advancement opportunities.

4. Writing:  Whether you are writing Emails, Texts, or Formal Papers, there are certain rules and protocols you need to follow.  Things like grammar and punctuation fall into this group of skills.  But so do things like adhering to company procedures for formatting and language usage.

5. Listening:  This skill involves more than just waiting to reply.  It involves using verbal statements and non-verbal cues that communicates to the speaker that you are actively engaged in the conversation. 

6. Negotiation:  There will always be times when you have to reach a compromise or move to a win-win position.  In such cases, you need the skills to clarify what you want, verify what the other person wants, and bring the discussion to a positive close.

7. Telephone:  There will always be times when you need to talk to people on the telephone.  So it is useful to master the skills that can help you obtain information you need during telephone conversations or to help you manage difficult conversations.

8. Verbal:  Speaking in a clear voice is an essential skill here.  But so is presenting your ideas in a format that is easy for the listener to understand.  These skills are at the core of the whole communication process.

Communication Skills Matter

Some communication skills are more important than others.  The key is to know which communication skills you need.  To determine what you need, use this 3-Step process.  First, start with these eight categories.  Second, investigate the specific communication skills that fall within each category.  Third, use these specific communication skills to improve how you communicate or to help others communicate better.

Dr. Barbara Brown trains, writes, and consults on strategies to enhance and improve workplace performance.

Get the iPhone and iPad APP Manage Communication Performance: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/manage-communication-performance/id391327199?mt=8

men, would you feel sexually harassed if women in your workplace have put pictures of nude male models on PC’s?

would you consider it as a sexually hostile environment? and report that woman?

Answer
I would not feel sexually harrased, but I would report it. They are not paid to put up images of nude people on the computer (at least, I hope they aren’t…).

Clever communication techniques are required in the workplace where many different messages have to be communicated on a daily basis. All these messages compete with each other to get attention and to be heard. The importance of communication skills in the workplace cannot be emphasized enough, as every single workplace activity requires communication over a variety of topics. The effectiveness of this communication can make or break an organization.

It is often best to keep communication simple. This may mean getting a communication out quickly during a crisis rather than taking a long time to perfect the communication. In this case quantity of communication is far more important than quality.

Take a change management or behavior change initiative for example. These encompass many sub-messages as they usually necessitate communicating what change or new behavior is required within various business units. The staff is then enabled to become accustomed to a new environment. Everyone has to understand the process that will take place in order to ensure the successful, smooth implementation. They must recognize the transition from the old environment to the new environment.

Clear communication, during all stages of the process, reduces uncertainty. It institutes staff cooperation thereby increasing productivity, motivation, morale and most importantly, how to take initiative.

By establishing two-way lines of open communication you will be able to decrease apprehension and resistance. This increases trust among employees and assists with anticipating and dealing with possible misperceptions. Research such as climate surveys will assess employee perceptions. While the research is being conducted it is useful to research current communication methods that are used within the organization and their effectiveness. This will show methods that should not be used and will indicate preferred communication methods.

Give employees the information they require. If job layoffs are expected, inform employees of salaried employee rights and non-salaried employee rights on termination. Be open and honest at all times. It is better to over communicate and repeat messages than to not communicate enough. Communicate information concerning job roles and responsibilities, policies and procedures, information pertaining to the organizational culture, business processes, the physical environment, where we are now, where we ideally want to be and the rationale behind the process. Define integration and explain what is expected of them. An effective employee orientation program will clarify many facts for the employee. Communicate the benefits offered by the company, such as employee health and wellness programs as this will show that the company cares and is putting the employee first. During this procedure, keep the staff informed every step of the way.

Conduct an effective employee orientation session that will explain the purpose of the company mission statement, as well as company values, morals and ethics. Discuss issues such as cross cultural communication in the organization and give examples of racial discrimination and other unacceptable behavior that could result in a hostile work environment lawsuit. Deal with other potential problems such as management resistance so that further problems do not result.

Research has shown that hard hitting, repetitive, ongoing, two-way communication methods with messages that are simple and clear will bring about the best results. Each message should be tailor-made to suit the different levels of you target audience, from unskilled employees through to senior management. Each message should be delivered directly to your selected audience right in their workspace. There are many types of electronic communication methods that can be used as well as non-electronic methods. While there are advantages and disadvantages of email, the advantages far outweigh the disadvantages. We find that because people are bombarded with emails, messages are often lost or overlooked. Although technology and human communication is the new focus of communication, it is often necessary to back it up with other types of workplace communication such as grapevine communication, not to mention the many other types of nonverbal communication. This could entail implementing a viral campaign that includes print and audio elements that entice people onto the intranet. One of the benefits of an intranet is that you can communicate a large amount of information quickly and it can be updated instantly. This can then include fun surveys to email people that will further promote the topic being communicated.

Communication plays a role in every employee engagement strategy. There are many organizational behavior books that look at the causes of employee turnover and suggest employee retention tips. Simple activities such as cross training employees, taking note of and acting on good suggestion box ideas submitted by employees and initiating an employee feedback program, assist with retaining staff.

The following communication methods and ideas can be used to provide a series of messages around communications regarding issues such as customer service, corporate whistle blowing, corporate values, re-induction, employee health wellness programs or to draw attention to specific messages such as seasons greetings, safety presentations, quarterly results, product launches, awards, special days such as HIV/aids day etc.

1. Idea sharing forums, this can be included in a grapevine communication campaign
2. Motivational campaigns with rewards and recognition for using initiative and creative problem solving
3. Engage with staff, recognize staff with employee of the month programs and funny employee awards
4. Office morale boosters to enhance teamwork in the work place
5. Email opinion polls and staff hotlines
6. Vote lines to get staff opinions and feedback on issues as well as ideas box/electronic feedback communication system
7. Unexpected phone calls and letters to select staff members from senior management showing appreciation and communicating other messages, compile a file with thank you note examples and ideas for managers to use
8. Admin assistant day to acknowledge the role assistants play
9. Face to face communication when misunderstandings occur
10. Themed campaigns to encourage staff to reach targets
11. Workshops within departments, involving all staff members
12. Devise blast faxes and special format emails for quick information updates, these will be identifiable as being part of a specific campaign making it easily recognizable
13. Mail shots with 3d elements for added appeal and memory retention – use this as part of a campaign with at least three communication elements to reinforce the communication message
14. Interactive email and SMS campaigns to communicate messages
15. Autoresponders can be used to reinforce messages and update communications on a regular basis
16. Viral communication campaign to encourage staff involvement in spreading important messages
17. Marketing tools with high memory retention can be used, such as the banner pen, to communicate messages that staff may need to refer to on an ongoing basis – this is like a brochure and pen in one, it has permanence and keeps the message top of mind
18. Competitions to encourage staff participation and feedback
19. Engine rooms and think tank rooms can be set up, where select staff from different departments play a role in communication between management and that department
20. Intranet forums
21. Screensavers with pertinent messages to be regularly updated with new messages
22. “Hall of fame” on the intranet to acknowledge people who have made a difference and encourage others to do so (use a paper based method for staff who do not have electronic access)
23. Notice boards
24. Newsletters
25. Brochures
26. Posters
27. Letters
28. Seminars
29. Workshops
30. Interchangeable banners
31. Extensive communication on the intranet
32. Flash mailers and sound and video clips with messages
33. Toilet posters and floor decals with messages
34. Create online calendars with interactive elements whereby staff communicate, send SMS’s or emails in response to pertinent messages on different days throughout the campaign period
35. Standard communications should be prepared and be adapted and used where problem areas arise in order to recognize staff concerns, acknowledge the problem and create goodwill
36. Lumpy package elements for specific communication needs eg tape measure to ‘shift your limits and calculate the rewards’
37. Ambush marketing in specific situations where appropriate
38. Surveys
39. Desk drops
40. Concept launch pack
41. Pay slip messages
42. Telephone campaigns by call centre to communicate message and ascertain receptivity of the message.

Remember to continually monitor and re-evaluate the communication strategy to ensure that the communication objectives are being met. Certain communication campaign elements can be tested on a sample of staff where necessary before being implemented. During the evaluation stage monitor the perceptions of employees and effectiveness of communication methods used. Different research methods can be used for this. This will provide important guidelines on communication methods that may need to be done differently.

Bridget Gore is the editor of Workplace-Communication.com – helping you improve communication at work. Find more about effective communication types at her site.

Hostile workplaces?

The restaraunt I work for has one manager in particular that rides people for little things, finds fault in everything, and belittles almost everyone on any given night he works. He has been reprimanded several times, both by upper management and the owners, and the behavior comtinues. I guess my question would be what should my next course of action be? I can’t afford to not work, but at the same time, I really do not look forward to being in the restaraunt at the same time he is, and there are more than a few coworkers that would agree. I would think that having a whole crew walk out on him would get the message across, but then we would be left jobless. Anyone been through this or anything similar?

Answer
If he has already been reprimanded several times by upper management AND the owners, it sounds like they are being very responsible – building a well-documented case prior to termination to avoid a lawsuit. You can help them by continuing your own documentation – a file of incidences of inappropriate and unprofessional behavior; with dates, times and witnesses – and then provide it to senior management, preferably as you suggest as a team.

If you’re a woman, you may sometimes wonder how your male colleagues can get into a heated discussion during a business meeting, end the meeting with issue unresolved, yet walk out of the room as the best of friends.

And if you’re a man, you may get frustrated when talking with your female co-workers about one topic, and they bring fourteen more topics into the conversation – all of which seem totally unrelated.

We all know that men and women think and act differently, both at work and at home, but knowing there are differences between people is only half the battle. To have successful working relationships with members of the opposite sex, you also have to know why those differences matter and what to do about them. The good news is that with a little insight into men and women, you can overcome the apparent communication and behavioral challenges that plague any workplace and gain greater understanding of each other.

Once Upon a Time…

Before we can look forward to a harmonious future, we need to begin by looking back into human evolution. Once upon a time about a million years ago, communities consisted of hunters (men) and gatherers (women). The hunters left every morning and tried to hunt food for the community. The gatherers stayed home and gathered the nuts and berries and made preparations for the food the men would bring back. So as far back as scientists can tell, women and men had different roles, and as a result, their brains developed in different ways.

For example, a man’s brain goes in and out of a rest state all day. Millions of years ago when men sat in trees waiting for their prey, they had to be quiet and disengaged. They didn’t want to scare away their potential dinner. So their brain evolved to learn to engage, disengage, engage, disengage throughout the day.

Women, on the other hand, couldn’t do that. They had to be on high alert all day, protecting themselves and their children as they gathered necessities and tended to the community’s needs. Their brains evolved to be always active.

In fact, if you look at an fMRI (functional MRI) of a man’s brain at rest and a woman’s brain at rest, you’ll see that the woman’s brain is busy and firing everywhere, whereas the man’s brain is quiet. This is not to say that one gender is better than the other; it’s simply an illustration of one of the many differences between men and women and how it evolved.

So what else is different from a brain wiring perspective? Here are a few highlights:

Brain chemicals. Men produce more testosterone, and women produce more oxytocin. Testosterone is an aggressive chemical, and oxytocin is a “tend and befriend” kind of chemical. These chemicals are significant drivers in a person’s brain.
Cycles. While women have a 28-day cycle, men have a cycle every day. Their testosterone spikes in the morning when they wake up (so they can go out and hunt), wanes in the afternoon, and spikes again in the evening around 8 p.m. It then goes back down, only to repeat the cycle the next day.
Brain matter. Men have more gray matter, while women have more white matter. The gray matter is used for local processing of thoughts and tasks. The white matter is what connects everything. This is why when a woman is processing an emotional event, she will do so immediately. All the interconnections make processing faster in her mind. A man is processing locally and will do so for a longer time. He doesn’t have the same type of factors to draw from.
Hierarchy. While both men and women understand hierarchy, men really understand it. Whoever brought back the biggest animal from hunt received the most status in the community. So that desire to be “top dog” and get their point across is innate in men. Likewise, women wanted the security of being with the men who could provide the most food for the family, which is why even today women (no matter what their income level or social status) want to be associated with successful men. It’s hardwired.

Of course, there are always exceptions to every rule. Within the spectrum of both male and female brains, there are gradations. There is also something called the “bridge brain,” which is someone who has characteristics of both the male and female brains.

Why This Matters

Because we’re working and communicating with each other every day, knowing the differences in gender communications is vital. Much has already been written about personality, values, and behavioral differences in communication; now it’s time to overlap gender differences into the equation.

For example, while women have distinct viewpoints on topics, when they communicate they often try to “keep the peace.” Men, however, are typically more aggressive in their communications, more argumentative about their ideas, and more vocal about their stand on a certain thing.

Women focus on building consensus. And because they’re contextual and they process information in the white matter, they’re often trying to reduce the heated arguments. This doesn’t mean a woman doesn’t like a good argument; however, if it gets hostile and the woman gets stressed, she’ll start producing oxytocin, which will prompt her to take steps to calm the situation down.

And because women have so much white matter, they may take a longer time to answer a question because they’re filtering it through the article they read this morning or what their boss said two days ago. Think of it like sorting in a computer. They’re doing a huge sort through the entire database to arrive at an answer.

Tips for Better Communication

To ease the daily workplace communication challenges, keep the following points in mind:

For men…

Keep women’s white matter in mind. They are not jumping from topic to topic just to annoy you. In their brain, everything is connected.
Remember that women “tend and befriend.” As a result, they have a tendency to use up-talk – where it sounds like they end every sentence with a question mark. Or they say such things as “What do you think?” This does not mean they don’t know what to think. They simply want to gain consensus.
Women all over the world tend to use more emotionally loaded words when they communicate. So they use high drama phrases and words such as “always” and “never” much more often than men do.

For women…

If you want to talk to a man about something that’s critical, and you think he’s going to be defensive, don’t do it at the 9 a.m. meeting or after hours at the company dinner. Remember that daily cycle.
Don’t jump from subject to subject, and always condense your thoughts into short sentences. Men have a word limit (this has been scientifically tested), and once they reach their word limit, it’s almost like a little blind goes down. They simply can’t process any more information.
Remember that a man’s brain shifts into that rest state throughout the day. So when you’re talking to him and he’s fidgeting, tapping his fingers on the table, or even doodling during the meeting, it doesn’t necessarily mean he’s bored or not interested. In fact, it probably means just the opposite. He’s unconsciously forcing himself to stay alert, keeping his brain active by that movement.

Closing the Great Divide

The key now is to accept this information, embrace it, and impose it as a new structure of thought in your own mind. Become conscious and aware of the differences between the sexes and use it in your daily interactions with others. By doing so, you can ease some of the frustrations you feel when communicating at work and build professional relationships built on understanding, collaboration, and trust.

Jean Kelley is president and founder of Jean Kelley Leadership Consulting and Jean Kelley Leadership Alliance.  She works with corporate leaders all over the world to achieve their highest potential.  With her Alliance, Kelley has helped more than 500,000 businesspeople enhance their careers.  She is the author of Dear Jean: What They Don’t Teach You at the Water Cooler, and Get A Job; Keep A Job Handbook. For more information, please visit jeankelley.com.