When it comes to the business world, communication is everything – whether you’re talking about new concepts and visions or delegating tasks and developing employees. Studies show that women have the upper hand in terms of effective communication and, in this article, we’re sharing five ways to nail that advantage.
Taking The Lead
In the workplace, success often depends on effective communication and female leaders tend to share a number of communication characteristics including:
- The use of more concrete language
- The use of more positive language
- The use of words which allow for easy visualisation
- A focus on ways to achieve an objective
In addition, women will usually display greater empathy along with a genuine desire to nurture others, which are extremely valuable tools in a leadership kit.
5 Ways To Harness The Power Of Female Communication For Leadership
Let’s look at some of the most influential female leaders of our time including Michelle Obama, Angela Markel and Baroness Karen Brady. Here, we can see they are defined by their talent for communicating ideas and beliefs. And although some women are born with a natural talent for communication, it can also be a learned skill. A quick and surefire way to so this is to invest in a communication skills course that will provide you with a shortcut to improving the skills you need.
In this article, we’re looking at the five ways in which you can nail the advantage of female communication in the workplace.
1: An Ear To The Ground
When we think about good communication, we usually associate this with speaking. But an ability to listen is just as important. By listening to others, you are able to understand any concerns, absorb new ideas and provide a more democratic culture in the workplace. Try to get into the habit of active listening – i.e. interjecting with comments or questions – to reassure the speaker that you are hearing them.
We’re not necessarily saying that, as a leader, you should be influenced by the views of your employees to the point of changing your objective or strategy. But if employees feel heard they will automatically feel more invested in the outcome – even if they don’t get their way.
2: Body Talk
In many cases, female leaders often tend to display softer, more approachable body language and this is something which can very much be used to your advantage in the workplace. The following types of body language are extremely useful in bringing the team onside and creating a positive work culture:
- Eye contact – Maintaining strong (but not aggressive) eye contact is a great way to engender trust as it conveys honesty. Try to maintain eye contact without being too “starey” and be sure to keep your gaze between the eyes and the forehead as focus on the mouth or lips can be construed as more social or even sexual.
- Head tilt – A slight tilt of the head to the side is a non-verbal indication you are listening to and are investing in what is being said.
- Up in arms – Avoid crossing your arms when speaking as this gives the impression of being guarded or closed off. Instead, keep your hands and arms relaxed by your side or resting on a table.
3: Paint A Picture
When men are presenting an idea or concept they can become mired in the technical aspects of the project. Women have the advantage of leaning towards creativity and this can be extremely powerful when explaining an idea. This is because this helps the audience to picture it rather than just hearing about it as an abstract concept.
So if you’re making a pitch or presentation, try to use descriptive words which will induce an emotional response rather than simple facts.
Contrary to a generally held view that emotion is a bad thing in business, this isn’t necessarily the case. In fact, it can be a really powerful tool when used correctly. As with many things, this one is all about balance – while passion is a valuable tool in the boardroom, negative emotion such as anger or distress will achieve the opposite effect in most cases.
4: A Question Of Great Leadership
Asking questions is a great way of getting your team to open up and of showing you have a genuine interest in what they have to say. Where possible (and appropriate) try to use open ended questions which encourage people to express themselves freely.
By asking questions, the message you are sending is that you value input from others and are prepared to take their ideas on board where appropriate.
In the same way, encourage other people to ask questions. This will show them that their opinion matters to you and, when answering these questions, try to mirror the their language to create rapport and a connection.
5: Softly Does It!
You may have noticed that, often, men may attempt to dominate a conversation or meeting by speaking loudly or stridently. Good for them – but we’ll let you into a secret: when it comes to success, softly does it.
When you speak slowly and softly (not weakly of course) you command attention from the room or the individual. This is because lower volume means that people need to listen more closely for fear of missing what you have to say. Give it a try and you’ll probably find that the room will be hanging on your every word!
Mind The Gap And Bridge It With New Skills
When it comes to getting ahead, the gap is closing rapidly between the sexes. But of course there is still work to be done. Doing well in work and business is all about playing to your strengths and using the tools you have at your disposal – of which communication skills are probably the most potent – which are unique to the female mindset. And honing your ability to effectively get your message across will be a key factor on the road to success.