Communicating Across the Gender Gap: What Lawyers and Professionals Need to Know
Communication always goes two ways. What we say may not be what others hear, and, whether we like it or not, what others hear and how you are perceived is often dependent on whether you are a man or woman.
A growing number of studies show again and again that most men and women have different styles of managing, speaking, and listening. Your gender makes a huge difference not only in your effectiveness as a professional, but can lead to misunderstandings and missed opportunities that can have consequences for your practice, your reputation for professionalism, and even your career. This multimedia, multidisciplinary program will give you fascinating practical tools for understanding how gender affects communication and dozens of tips to help you in your daily life and work.
We lawyers pay close attention to how we communicate – with clients, colleagues, judges and juries. We prepare diligently, develop creative arguments, and hone our persuasiveness. But what most of us don’t realize is that how we are perceived is not based solely on the strength of what we say, but is influenced by the “gender gap” in communication.
Topics include:
• How to defuse gender conflicts in the office
• Why many turn off clients of the opposite sex
• How to use your own “gender style” to your advantage
• How gender affects leadership
• Understanding gender in the courtroom
The course is given in a public format, typically through bar associations , or in an in-house format for law firms and corporations. It can be customized for a particular in-house audience, and there are both longer and shorter versions. The course is designed to meet the state CLE requirements for “elimination of bias” and professionalism in most states. It is generally taught in a public setting by Sarah E. Wald and Steven D. Stark, and in an in-house setting by one or both.