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. 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. 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.