The Gender Communication Handbook: Conquering Conversational Collisions between Men and Women

CHAPTER 5

How She and He Listen

Though neither sex may listen “better,” it appears that women and men listen differently.

—Judy Pearson (1985, p. 162)

Learning Objectives

• Understand the differences in how women and men listen.
• Explore how the differences in men’s and women’s listening behaviors affect conversations and credibility.
• Suggest action steps for men and women to improve their skills when listening to each other.

Introduction

Listening often takes the back seat when it comes to talking about communicating successfully. As Claire mentions to her students, we need to listen louder than we speak to keep the peace. That includes listening to keep the peace between men and women in the workplace. While employees may spend hours learning ...