Women’s Voices: Are They Fully Heard?

by | Oct 1, 2015 | appreciating difference, benefits of diversity, better decisions, business value of gender diversity, confidence, double bind, double bind, gender communication, gender diversity in leadership, masculine communication style, Sheryl Sandberg, women and confidence, women confidence, women in leadership, women masculine style, women self promotion | 0 comments

In many parts of the world, women’s voices are suppressed. In our western culture, in particular in the U.S. corporate world, women’s voices are not “suppressed.” But they are often not fully heard. Why not? Let me suggest four challenges, with the hope that awareness can help us better hear women’s voices right here in the USA. The feminine style of speech sounds less confident. Women assert themselves only when they really know. Women get “talked over.” And women who do speak up face the “double bind.”

I Hate to Interrupt, But . . .

by | Apr 9, 2015 | causes of disengagement, double bind, double bind, gender bias, women tooting own horn | 0 comments

Arin Reeves uses the terms “Mansplaining,” “Manterrupting” and “Bropropriating” to describe ways in which men interrupt women. These phenomena have received lots of attention lately—by Sandberg and Grant in the NYT, Joann Lipman in the WSJ – and by me. Can awareness help assure that women are heard and get credit for their ideas? Fixing this can support the engagement and retention of women – and that is good for business results.