EQ

Do Women Communicate Better Than Men?

by Casey M. on Monday, April 12, 2010 6:01:35 PM MST

In past blogs we’ve talked about some of the similarities and differences between groups of people on their Style and Versatility. One finding we noticed is that many women are Amiable and Expressive (60% combined), while more men tend to be Analytical and Driving (57% combined).

So this begs the question, since many women are more comfortable showing their emotions, does this make them more effective communicators? After all, we tend to describe impassioned leaders as more charismatic communicators than leaders who are less emotional in their behavior.

So at the risk of fanning the flames for a new gender war, we decided to stop pondering and let the data speak for itself. To answer our question we analyzed people’s Feedback profiles. Feedback is the component of Versatility that indicates how effectively a person communicates in one-on-one situations.

What we found is that women have higher Feedback skills than men. The difference is not overwhelming, but it is noticeable. I’m sure many of you, especially the women, are saying, “Duh, I could’ve told you that!” But it’s always nice when hard data confirms our impressions.

So what does this mean for how we communicate with others in our daily lives? Realistically, it means that we still have to approach one another as individuals, and pay attention to one another’s Styles more so than our genders. Like all statistics, the difference in Feedback between men and women is at a group level, and interpersonal skills are, well, interpersonal. So all of us, regardless of our chromosomes, should pay attention to our communication skills and keep working to improve.

Deberah P. 2 (posts) Thursday, April 22, 2010 5:55:38 PM MST

This is so well written. I love the fact that the data speaks what we women pretty much thought all along about feedback skills. Since feedback inlcudes listening I'm sure many women would agree that most men don't listen, only pretend to be listening. As a women who has been in the workplace for a long time, it's refreshingn to finally hear..."that we still have to approach one another as individuals, and pay attention to one another’s Styles more so than our genders." Amen!

Susan L. 1 (posts) Thursday, April 22, 2010 8:50:11 PM MST

It's nice to know that a component of Versatility backs up what women have known for a very long time. If 60% of women tend to be an Amiable or Expressive, does it mean that in general Amiable's and Expressive's also have a higher feedback skills?

Casey M. 1 (posts) Monday, April 26, 2010 3:46:55 PM MST

Susan's question is right on target. TRACOM's research has shown a relationship between Feedback skills and Responsiveness. This means that Amiable and Expressive Style people have a slight tendency to have better Feedback skills. As Deberah pointed out though, we shouldn't stereotype people by their genders or Social Styles. Many men are good listeners and many women are not. Part of the power of Style and Versatility is consciously monitoring our own behavior so we can improve our communication skills with others, regardless of our gender or Style.

jim s. 1 (posts) Tuesday, May 11, 2010 3:40:34 PM MST

Darn, another brutal fact to flow with. Life is such an adventure in learning. Thank you. dr. jim sellner, PhD., DipC.