Tethered to Technology:
The Gender Twist

Remember the days before e-mail and texting or tweets? How about voice mail? And how did you ever coordinate plans and find your way around without a cell phone? It’s hard to imagine life before we were tethered to technology. But there’s no getting around it: face-to-face communication is being replaced by technical forms of communication to a great extent, and this impacts how men and women communicate .

Similar to sex differences in linguistic patterns, women and men use e-mail, the Internet, texting, and other technology to communicate in different ways. For example, there is a lot of confusion in the style and interpretation of e-mail between men and women. If women want men to look at their e-mail and respond favorably, a closer look at these differences is crucial. The length, format, and style of the e-mail can be a make-it-or-break-it with men. And whatever you do, don’t use emoticons when sending e-mail to a man. We are hard pressed to think of an e-mail we’ve received from a male colleague, co-worker, or vendor that had emoticons.

According to “Defending the Caveman” by Rob Becker, the longest running solo play in Broadway history, back in the caveman times, men were hunters and women were gatherers. Because of that, we’ve evolved with different sets of instincts to ensure survival.

Now in the Internet times, the Internet serves as an extension of those instincts. Men use it as a tool to hunt. I’m looking for a cherry 1972 Nova. I go on the Internet, I look through eBay, and there it is. Women, as gatherers, use the Internet to gather information. They use it to stay in touch with their friends. They keep community together.

In the May Smart Talk column I will continue the dialog about how men and women communicate via email, texting, etc and provide guidelines for both.

Adapted from Code Switching: How to Talk so Men will Listen

Hello Audrey:

A number of years ago you were a speaker at one of our national conferences for our consultants.  It was educational, enlightening and fun.
We are having our next annual meeting towards the end of June at the Westin Hotel in Avon Colorado and I would like to discuss your availability and possible topics to address at that meeting.  
 
Joe Costello, CFP, CSSC
EPS Settlement Group

Thank you for your informative, fun and upbeat speaking contribution to our DTC Colorado Business Women  group last week Audrey -- you were wonderful!  Lots of positive feedback from our organization.

Melissa Wilson
Greenwood Village Chamber

Dear Audrey,
What a wonderful speaker you are and your talk yesterday for the Colorado Women’s Chamber inspired me to want to take one of your classes!! I’d love to hear you lecture in a classroom as you have so much wonderful knowledge to share! Wish my grown-up daughters could take the classes with me!!

Anne Vorderbruggen
Sr. Admin Assistant | Plan Sponsor Services
TIAA-CREF | Financial Services for the Greater Good