Do feel as though you and your partner need to communicate better? Do you sometimes feel like your partner is missing the message when you do communicate? Why is it so difficult for men and women to communicate effectively? What are the differences in male and female communication? Male and female communication is different because the sexes are different from each other.
We are wired differently and brought up in different a manner which causes issues in male and female communication later in life.
In order for males and females to communicate in a more effective manner, it is important to understand the basic differences in how we talk to each other.
There are actually several different communication styles.
And even though we like to believe we all communicate in the same manner, when we don't it often leads to misunderstandings and stress.
Competitive Communication A lot of men tend to be competitive communicators.
That is that they are oriented toward power and dominance and they way they talk tends to convey this message.
They also have very direct communication, especially when it has to do with making decisions.
In addition, they also like to make a decision without the help of anyone else.
Affiliate Communication Women tend to fall more into this category where they bring a lot of other people into a conversation.
They prefer a collaborative communication and will seek out everyone to friends and to family.
If you are unsure of what category you fall into, ask yourself if you like to speak up when you disagree on something or do you listen to all angles and then remain silent.
In addition, determine if you like to make decisions on your own or prefer to bounce ideas off of other people.
Direct Communication A lot of men tend to like direct communication.
That is to say that when they want something, they immediately voice this intention.
What happens with this type of communication is that there is generally very little room for any misunderstandings.
Indirect Communication Women may not want to be so bold as to come right out and say what they want, so they tend to use indirect communication.
These statements are usually much vaguer and leave room for a little interpretation.
This is also how a lot of misunderstandings may begin.
These two communication styles will generally not work well with one another.
This is because the direct form of communication can be offensive for some.
On the other hand, one partner may not appreciate the confusing style of a partner who favors indirect communication in that they can never really figure out what their partner wants.
The key to working through a relationship where one partner favors direct communication and the other uses indirect communication is to use a lot of patience and understanding.
This type of relationship is not doomed, but it may require a little more work.
Being flexible will also go a long way to being able to understand a partner who has a different communication style than your own.