Strategies for Bridging the Communication Gap Between Genders

In my previous post, I had talked about an article by Edward Leigh. I just wanted to go back to his article briefly because he had some interesting and specific points on some strategies that both genders have in communicating in the workplace and the differences between the two. He lists about 5 different specific ways:

1) Information Issues - This boils down to the whole situation where men look at asking questions as a weakness, while females are willingly asking whats necessary. This can mean different things for different people. For me personally, I would say that as a female, we might as questions because its our way of understanding and gathering all the right information. As a man, if they are in fact shadowed away by the weakness of gathering information by asking a question, then they are questioned by females and vice versa. This is a serious bridge that needs to be broken down. Sharing is caring!!

2) Managing Metaphors - Here he describes the difference between male and female analogies which then can form miscommunication. Men like to compare things with sports, or cars, or their personal hobbies, while females are more likely to compare with decoration, or houses, or their own hobbies (different from men of course). This can simply be settled with "using gender-neutral images (weather, nature, or movies, etc)" as Edward Leigh would put it.

3) Power Struggles - Here, women and men can really learn from each other. While men are stereotyped to look at being the highest rank in the organization and being assertive, females are looking for the best relationship to have with someone (business, not personal love life).
*Keep in mind PLEASE, that this does not all necessarily have to be true. I know plenty of women that take charge and are assertive at their workplace. This is merely what Edward Leigh has picked up on and this article can have an important intake for every different organization, depending who you are!!*

4) Getting to the Point - Being a woman, you enjoy connecting with people and building trustworthy relationships. Men tend to be blunt and get to the point without explaining and/or getting deeper into the topic. Both these can be a benefit if intertwined together properly!

5) Facts and Feelings - One thing I like that Edward Leigh said in this section was that "every type of communication had both an intellectual and an emotional element". This goes to show that both genders have their own flaw and benefit at the same time. When a person, doesn't matter female or male, can generate the two elements together in a conversation, it can work to their benefit and then facts and feelings can be put aside. Awesome!

After going over these strategies (of many I hope), you begin to notice that a balance of all these 5 can separate the talks between gender roles and tension and make an ideal workplace. Yay!



Leigh, Edward. "The Center for Healthcare Communication | Men & Women Communicating in the Workplace." The Center for Healthcare Communication | Home. N.p., n.d. Web. 2 Feb. 2015.