• who gets heard and why.
• how men and women communicate and interpret each other.
• potential language pitfalls which commonly occur in the workplace.
• how these differences affect women in the workplace and in positions of authority.
• what we as women can do to improve our communication effectiveness with men and in the workplace.

As young girls we are taught to be considerate, to save face for others, to apologize, and exercise modesty. This training often runs counter to the communication skills that are expected and rewarded in the workplace. If you know women who have waited for someone to notice they’ve done a good job or whose deferential nature has kept them from advancement, you have witnessed this dichotomy in action.

Linguistic research has unveiled a wealth of information for women working with men. Deborah Tannen, Robin Lakoff and other linguists have studied how language patterns are formed at a very young age and how they grow to differ for the sexes. These differences, hierarchical communication for men and relational communication for women, are the basis for much of the misunderstandings and lack of value of women’s contributions in the workplace. Understanding these potential pitfalls and leveraging our strengths as women in relational communication techniques can ensure our visibility, power and effectiveness in the workplace.

OBJECTIVES:
• Help women and men understand the beneficial dynamics of utilizing the full spectrum of communication skills and attributes;
• Enable women to succeed in traditionally male oriented workplaces and be perceived as strong and effective in their leadership roles.
• Provide an understanding of communication pitfalls and opportunities by both sexes that can lead to effective leadership for both men and women.

• Layoffs have decimated Cotech. Many of the remaining workers are immobilized by fear of losing their jobs through more layoffs or even company closure. John Powers, the CEO, thinks the situation can be turned around but he cannot make it with the current levels of productivity.

• Employees of Medico have accepted a 1% cost of living increase in lieu of performance increases (usually between 4-6%) in order to protect their jobs during a downturn in the market. They soon find out the CEO of Medico was awarded a $6 million dollar bonus from the Board of Directors.

These events occur every day and are highly publicized. They affect the culture in companies across the world. Uncertainty is airborne and contagious in the workplace. The costs of high turnover and productivity loss from poor morale are mounting.

Cyd covers:

• the “controllable” causes of uncertainty.
• what employees want from their leaders during difficult times.
• how a leader’s communication and behavior affect employee’s anxiety levels.
• methods to solicit feedback and evaluate how our communication is perceived.

Awareness of how our words and actions are interpreted during stressful times allows us to manage perceptions of our own reputation as well as the commitment of an organization to it’s workers, customers and partners. Opportunities abound to enhance these relationships through a realistic self-assessment and strategic communication.

Recent research has unveiled a wealth of information for leaders who seek to motivate and inspire. Furthermore, there is a direct correlation to the bottom line. The common denominator in these findings is authentic and honest communication from successful leaders – as well as adopting the behaviors to support their messages.