Gender Communication

While standing in Grand Central Station, I saw a young man run up behind a friend to surprise him in their greeting. Some people might shake hands, others might hug, and some, like this young male, may give a little shove from behind in a gesture of hello. Just minutes later, I saw a woman looking past me with a large smile for her approaching female friend who embraced her in their welcome. It got me thinking about how men and women can communicate very differently at times. If you watch girls and boys play this becomes very evident. We don't all have excess time, however, to research the nuances of male/female disparate communication styles, but we do have the intelligence to be observant and to adapt our behavior to meet others part way. I think this is beneficial for a couple of reasons: First, it makes people feel welcome which is important for successful interactions. And second, it lets us walk in others' shoes as a way to expand our way of thinking. For me, it was enough to simply witness the varying approach of the men and women in Grand Central to make me smile and think, "what a wonderful world!" To be added to Lanartco's Communication Performance Tip of the Week, please connect to this link or send your email address to info@lanartco.com.