UNDERSTANDING THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN HOW WOMEN AND MEN COMMUNICATE

MAY 2001 FEATURE

Understanding the Differences Between How Women and Men Communicate

On both sides of the gender divide, tales of miscommunication abound, some amusing, some tragic. In a coaching environment, typically highly charged, the likelihood of misunderstandings is great. Effective communication becomes essential to success.

As the wise coach sharpens her overall communication skills, she inevitably runs into situations rooted in the very real differences between how women and men communicate. How to deal effectively with these differences has received comparatively little attention. As sport psychologist Penny Werthner writes in this issue of the Journal, the coach who grasps differing conversational styles and incorporates her learnings into her speaking and listening is well on her way to becoming more effective and ultimately, more successful in dealing with her athletes and colleagues.
Penny draws on the writings of Deborah Tannen, whose 1990 book You Just Don’t Understand: Women and Men in Conversation blew the lid off the subject, and applies the linguistics professor’s revelations to coaching.

Ingrid Paul (with Catriona Le May Doan)
Photo taken by: Canadian Olympic Association:
Mike Ridewood.

On the subject of confidence, for example, Tannen writes that because women tend to verbally downplay their expertise, what may look like lack of confidence on the part of women is a reluctance to appear boastful. (Sound familiar?) Penny explains how well-developed listening skills ensure that you, the coach, are able to distinguish between the words you hear and what others are really saying. She covers integrating the highly skilled athlete into the team, discusses the ‘how’ and ‘when’ of asking questions, and explains "the rituals of apologies, feedback, and opposition".. Buttressing each point are the comments of leading women coaches Ingrid Paul, Elaine Dagg-Jackson, and Moira D’Andrea and the insights of Olympians Susan Auch and Margaret Langford, and world record holder Neal Marshall, who is eloquent on the strengths of his coach, Ingrid Paul. — Sheila Robertson

May 2001 feature continue >>

le Journal en français

MAY 2001
Vol. 1, No. 5
Front Page
CONTENTS

Understanding The Differences Between How Women And Men Communicate

Being Highly Skilled and Being Part of a Team

Confidence

Asking Questions

The Rituals of Apologies, Feedback, and Opposition

Download a PDF of this article
(7 pages, 52 KB)

Print version of this article

Search the Journal

PAST ISSUES

NEXT ISSUE

About the Journal

Get on the email circulation list click here

Coaching Association of Canada
www.coach.ca