Tell It Like It Is . . . Or Don't

I read this article and found it to be very interesting.  Some of it is definitely stereotypical.  If I look at this honestly, I myself fall into both camps, so the stereotypes definitely do not fit exactly for everyone.  But it still seems to hold true for some people.  The article says that men are succinct and to the point, they say it like it is.  It also says that women are essentially the opposite, they kind of skirt all over the issue and make interpretations, anything but straight and to the point.

Where do you see yourself in this comparison?  Do you tend toward the male side or the female side?  Or both, depending on the situation?


from
http://business.lovetoknow.com/wiki/Motivation_Skills_of_Women_vs_Men

Motivation Skills of Women vs Men

By Debbie LaCroix

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Men vs Women

Let's take a stereotypical look at men vs. women in the workplace:

• Men tend to like power, control and strength.
• Women are more emotionally driven.

• A man tends to jump in when he comes face to face with an issue and take over. He will deal with it then and there and get it over with.
• A woman ask questions first, make sure she understands the task, and then completes it to perfection.

• Men like to work alone.
• Women prefer to help each other.

Giving Information

Men and women share information differently.

Men

Men tend to say exactly what they mean. If a man wants steak for dinner, he says, "I want steak." If he doesn't care one way or another, he'll tell you, "Do it how you feel looks best." When a man thinks a dress is OK, he'll tell you, "That dress is fine." Now this may seem simple, but to most women, who share information differently, it can be very confusing. To a woman, "fine" means not great.

Women

Women like to "sugar-coat" information. When a woman tells you something, you often have to read between the lines. For example, if she wants chicken but she knows you want a steak, she'll tell you "Steak or chicken is fine. If you really want steak, we can have steak, but I can make chicken." If she tells you "Do it how you feel is best," she still wants you to ask her opinion before submitting your work.

When a woman sees an ugly dress, she will talk around it in, "That is an original looking dress." If she says "fine," her friend knows it is not the best choice in dress.

Interpreting Information

Males and females interpret information differently. Many books have been written to help couples get over this different planet mentality. Gaining an understanding of these differences can also help you motivate employees in the workplace.

Men

Men hear what you say, and take it for face value. They will not read between the lines. If you say, "Let's go watch a movie. I'd like to see the movie that won the awards, but it doesn't matter." They think, "Great! Let's go see that new horror movie."

If you tell them something doesn't matter, then they move on. To them, the situation is over.

Women

Women however read between the lines. This is what frustrates men. Men tell you what they want, and a woman will try to interpret the information. If you tell a woman she "looks nice," she may agonize over the definition of "nice."

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