Relationships: 10 Communication Differences Between Men and Women

1. Women’s brains are always “on.”
   There is more neural activity in the female brain at any given time than in the male brain.
    
2. Men just want the facts.
   Men usually ask fewer questions to stimulate conversation in their work relationships and often end conversations more abruptly than women.
    
3. Women focus on friendship first.
   For female salespeople, they tend to build relationships when they sell. They don’t tend to go into a transaction focused on the final outcome but wanting to build rapport and learn more about the client first.
    
4. Men take it one task at a time.
   Men tend to like to focus on one task at a time, whereas women’s brains are more geared to multitask.
    
5. Women remember the little details.
   Females can generally remember more physical and relational details than men.

1. Nonverbal—Women are more demonstrative while men are more conservative.
    
2. Body orientation—Women appear more physically engaged, but appearances can be deceiving.
    
3. Apologies—Women apologize more, hoping to create or sustain connections. Men view apologies as a loss of face.
    
4. Arguments—Men are more direct and less concerned about feelings, while women often approach issues in a more circuitous fashion.
    
5. Compliments—Women use these as a way of connecting with others, while men are more likely to offer evaluations and advice.
    
6. Problem solving—Men prefer action and desire immediate results; women discuss problems and feelings, and look for common experiences to share with others.
    
7. Negotiation—Women prefer discussion, their goal being agreement. Men feel that this is manipulation. They are more direct and want speedy results.
    
8. Chatterbox—Surprisingly in the long run men and women talk about the same amount. The differences are in the subject and goals of the discussions. Women talk more to family and close friends, exchanging support and experiences, while men’s goal is to exchange information whether at work or in formal or social situations.
    
9. Interrupting—Women interrupt to demonstrate concern. Men interrupt to try to control the conversation.
    
10. Interrupting—Women interrupt to demonstrate concern. Men interrupt to try to control the conversation.