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Empower Yourself And Others To Enact Social Change As A Woman In Your House And Your Workplace
In many workplaces, men occupy most managerial positions. Women, therefore, have to serve under a man. Most societies also regard the man as the head of the home. The occurrence at both the workplace and home leaves a woman compromised.
Most women do not think they can route for social change either at work or at home. However, leveraging on new communication skills can make a woman’s voice get heard. She can practice on the following.
Be Purposeful When You Speak
Men seem to be dominant in the business world. They tend to troll conversations and command respect. However, a woman can be authoritative with her voice. By checking on the pitch, the pace, and voice projection, she can get people to listen. On the other hand, people can easily ignore someone who has a sing-song voice.
Women need to learn how to get a much lower pitch. For instance, they should end a sentence at either the same or lower tone they start. They can also learn to pause in between sentences to add emphasis on crucial points. Rushing to finish what you are saying will make people assume it is not of so much importance.
Make Use of Non-Verbal Cues
A well-known phenomenon women display in most places is their tendency to like to look smaller. They will usually take up little space by either crossing their arms and legs or having their midsections hidden. However, purposeful non-verbal cues can be beneficial to affirm a woman’s point.
For instance, when sitting at a table, you should find a way to get your arms to rest on top of the table. Also, if you stand to make a point, make sure that you have your elbows fully extended. The gestures may seem outrageous, but they show that you have confidence and authority. Having authority makes people respect you, and respect will make your voice to be heard.
Get to the Main Point
Many women would “add many aesthetics” when making a point. They choose to show that they researched and show their findings and analysis of the whole matter. All this aims to show how credible and authentic their idea is, but they end up having their thoughts scattered and watered down. The best way to address this issue is to be declarative and go direct to the point.
Another way is to make sure that you do away with filler words. Almost everyone makes use of filler words, and they end up dragging the point. When it becomes a habit, it may be challenging to drop. The best way to handle this is by recording a voice note and playing it back to oneself. You look out for any filler words. Filler words may include “actually,” “you know,” “honestly,” “literally.” You may practice speaking as you pause, which will help you drop the filler words.
You may often have to look at your entire presentation and go straight to the bottom line. The bottom line of your speech is the main thing you want people to remember. Once you have identified, make sure to edit the rest. Put your focus on the main point, and you will get people to have it in mind. Make sure you are brief so that people can get what you mean to put across.
Leading with Warmth
The Harvard School of Business professor Amy Cuddy reckons that women can connect with people. Niccolo Machiavelli often pondered over whether you should have people love you or fear you. When we judge people, two characteristics are the ones we focus on: how lovable they can be (encompasses warmth, communion, or trustworthiness) and how fearsome they can be (covers strength, agency, or competence).
Amy Cuddy ascertains that when we judge someone as competent but lacks warmth, we will envy them. Envy may make people have both respect and resentment for you. In most cases, respect makes people cooperate with you, but bitterness will make you vulnerable to retaliation.
People notice many traits in others, but the main characteristics they see are strength and warmth. Psychologists say that the two dimensions account for up to 90 percent of how people will perceive you. However, they also realize that many people lead by instilling fear in others, and it ends up undermining creativity and cognitive potential.
On the contrary, warmth invites trust in any engagement. When people trust you, communicating with you will be comfortable, and you can easily share ideas. Because warmth is a characteristic of many women, they can use it to connect with other people. Just a simple smile or nod may make someone realize how much you care and acknowledge their needs.
Do Not Be Apologetic
Women tend always to apologize, and it goes a long way to hinder their ability to bring change. They are apologetic, which compromises your ability to influence anyone’s behavior. People end up regarding them as being overly polite. While an apology may be necessary for some instances, being excessively apologetic cannot help you assert your presence.
For instance, let’s say you ordered something at a restaurant and got served something else. Don’t start by, “I’m sorry I ordered…” Try something fresh, like “Could you guys fix my order. I ordered for…” It shows authority, and people will take you more seriously. Being apologetic will undermine any authoritative purpose of the message.
Pave the way for More Discoveries
Psychologists affirm that women are easier to collaborate with than men. Women tend to want to see or hear all the viewpoints that may be involved in a story. Ensure to gather enough information, which will be helpful in persuasion and planning. Holding conversations when you are working on a project together may be a way to connect.
The connection makes people trust you. And with trust, you build empathy. Empathy makes you feel people’s pain and understand their feeling. It will be helpful at home or even at work as people know that you know what they are going through. And because women happen to be naturally empathetic, it may be a strength. When you know how something will influence everyone at a particular stage, you decide that everyone will agree.
Make Sure to Separate Your Reaction from Your Response
Perhaps you should remember that you always try to shift responsibility when you react to any situation. Unfortunately, the reaction may lead to blames and pointing fingers, which may eventually elicit feelings of anger and resentment. Often, for a response, one is partly unconscious of the bigger picture and focuses on the current situation. They may even get too emotional, making unwarranted conclusions.
On the other hand, when you respond to something, you usually take responsibility for any role you played in the whole process. You make conscious decisions, and you understand what you are feeling (and why); you control anything you say and how you behave. In short, you have a clear view of the whole situation.
Being reactive may even fuel revenge. In many cases, people will end up judging you as immature. Therefore, people may not take you seriously and may ignore anything you have to say. Always try to be responsive, and make conscious decisions. As a woman, do not get overly defensive and do not blame someone else. Instead, try to understand what happened and figure out steps on what you should do to rectify the mess. That will command respect, and people will cooperate and make sure to help in correcting the situation.
Seize Every Opportunity
Many women may get engrossed with fear when they are in leadership roles. In some cases, the reason may be because men own a majority of leadership roles in society and the business world. Women may also be unsure of what to do and end up delegating their duties. However, believing in oneself is key to getting your voice heard.
It would be best if you always believed that you are not in that position by mistake. Confidence is key. Accepting your role and owning it provides you an opportunity to learn and gain a sphere of influence. Always seize the opportunity and use it to release your content and make it shine. Visibility attracts leadership, and you should be able to take up any positions that come your way.
Conclusion
Communication skills are paramount to getting people to listen to your voice. Because many people look down on women, you should always embrace new communication skills to respect you. By commanding respect, you can lead the way for social change, both at home and at work. When you help develop other people, you also are developing. Every woman’s goal should be to establish herself and get to help the people around her. Fostering change among the people around you makes the world a better place.
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