{"id":2896,"date":"2020-05-13T14:26:21","date_gmt":"2020-05-13T18:26:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/?p=2896"},"modified":"2020-05-13T14:26:21","modified_gmt":"2020-05-13T18:26:21","slug":"women-in-business-how-are-we-communicating","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/?p=2896","title":{"rendered":"Women in Business: How are we communicating?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>By Meg George<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I spent a great deal of time in 2019 thinking about how I communicate and how significantly my style of communication impacts the outcomes I\u2019m seeking. My husband and I are business partners, so I have the advantage of bouncing ideas off of someone with a sometimes different perspective all day (every day). I\u2019ve noticed that while we almost always agree on an initiative, in the past we have been apt to approach it differently: he was direct and unapologetic, and I was cautious and forgiving.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In our work, we engage primarily with nonprofit organizations and philanthropists and therefore communicate regularly with nonprofit and board leaders of both genders. In the nonprofit world, leaders are constantly asking for things. Needs are always tremendous, and thankfully, people are willing to meet them. But those people have to be asked. More often than men, women tell me that they feel rather burdensome when they are faced with this heavy lift of making solicitations. Am I bugging this person if I send another email? What if he or she thinks I can\u2019t take a hint, or that I\u2019m too forward? I empathize with this worry, because I used to share it.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">My communication changed when my anxiety around how I am making someone feel changed. In any business world, we need to ask things of people whether they are supporters, employees, clients, and the list goes on. If we are confident, respectful and direct, then we have done our job. How someone responds to us is their business, not ours. I use nonprofits as an example often because it\u2019s my line of work \u2014 when someone ignores an \u201cask\u201d or even says \u201cno,\u201d we tend to take it personally. But it isn\u2019t personal. It\u2019s more likely than not a financial or business decision on their part, and there was no harm in asking, so we shouldn\u2019t feel sorry about having done so. Ironically, that feeling I once had of being a pest shed itself when I stopped starting my ask of people with \u201cI am so sorry to ask but\u2026\u201d or \u201cThis is probably a busy time for you and I apologize but\u2026\u201d and started to communicate the way that I notice many men to do me: without apology, and with candid and sincere language.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Of course, this is not true of all men and all women, and here I am generalizing. From personal experience, I know that my husband and I are wired differently, and many times over, it applies to other people I know and with whom I do work. I am more sensitive than him, and he is more straightforward than me. We are partners, and we need to achieve the same things, so while I know that my sensitivity and softness can be an advantage in certain situations, I have changed the way that I approach conversation (in person, by phone and through email) and have noticed a significant change in how people respond to me.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Women cannot lose what differentiates us. Our contributions at the workplace, at home and in our communities are both critical and unique. How do we become even more effective? In my opinion, it is through straightforward and genuine communication. Be intentional about what you want to say, concise with how you say, and unapologetic for saying it. How does that phrase go, \u201cI\u2019m a woman, hear me roar.\u201d Well, let\u2019s roar even more directly this year!<\/span><\/p>\n<p><em>For more about the George Development Group, visit georgedevgroup.com.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>By Meg George I spent a great deal of time in 2019 thinking about how I communicate and how significantly my style of communication impacts the outcomes I\u2019m seeking. My husband and I are business partners, so I have the advantage of bouncing ideas off of someone with a sometimes different perspective all day (every&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":2897,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[101],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2896","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-features"],"gutentor_comment":0,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/Meg-George.jpg?fit=975%2C650&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":3415,"url":"https:\/\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/?p=3415","url_meta":{"origin":2896,"position":0},"title":"Coming full-circle: Ophelia\u2019s Place founder to retire","author":"Alyssa Dearborn","date":"December 7, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"By Ashley M. 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Now,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Inspire&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Inspire","link":"https:\/\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/?cat=1143"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/OP-MaryEllen-Clausen-Alice-G-Patterson-photo.jpeg?fit=801%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/OP-MaryEllen-Clausen-Alice-G-Patterson-photo.jpeg?fit=801%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/OP-MaryEllen-Clausen-Alice-G-Patterson-photo.jpeg?fit=801%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/OP-MaryEllen-Clausen-Alice-G-Patterson-photo.jpeg?fit=801%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1282,"url":"https:\/\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/?p=1282","url_meta":{"origin":2896,"position":1},"title":"Give to Others","author":"Staff","date":"December 1, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"One Business\u2019 Trash, A Nonprofit Organization\u2019s Treasure By Amy Caputo | Photography by Amy Davis Have you ever had an idea you never imagined would turn into a reality? For myself and my family, one simple idea of giving snowballed into a positive experience and has had a strong impact\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Causes&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Causes","link":"https:\/\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/?cat=104"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":1987,"url":"https:\/\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/?p=1987","url_meta":{"origin":2896,"position":2},"title":"Marsha Tait","author":"Staff","date":"August 2, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"A Life Made for Literacy By Lorna Oppedisano | Photography by Paul Carmen Though Marsha Tait didn\u2019t set out with the intent of developing a career in the world of adult literacy, looking back at her family history, one might think it was destiny. Her mother was the child of\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Featured&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Featured","link":"https:\/\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/?cat=99"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/003_MarshaTait_PRINT.jpg?fit=1200%2C805&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/003_MarshaTait_PRINT.jpg?fit=1200%2C805&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/003_MarshaTait_PRINT.jpg?fit=1200%2C805&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/003_MarshaTait_PRINT.jpg?fit=1200%2C805&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/003_MarshaTait_PRINT.jpg?fit=1200%2C805&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2891,"url":"https:\/\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/?p=2891","url_meta":{"origin":2896,"position":3},"title":"CNY Diaper Bank establishes COVID-19 crisis fund for local families","author":"Sarah Hall","date":"March 24, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Donations will allow the nonprofit to respond to increased diaper need in CNY \u00a0 The CNY Diaper Bank, a local nonprofit that collects diapers for families in need, is asking Central New York community members to consider contributing to the organization\u2019s COVID-19 crisis fund. Monetary donations can be made directly\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Causes&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Causes","link":"https:\/\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/?cat=104"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/diapers-2.jpg?fit=522%2C400&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":2171,"url":"https:\/\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/?p=2171","url_meta":{"origin":2896,"position":4},"title":"In her own words: Alexis Cohen","author":"Staff","date":"December 4, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Alexis Cohen is director of special events and community engagement, Marriott Syracuse Downtown. SWM: What\u2019s your first memory at the Marriott Syracuse Downtown? Alexis: I was a flower girl for my uncle\u2019s wedding in the Grand Ballroom. Fast forward 20-plus years and I watched one of my weddings unfold and\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Features&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Features","link":"https:\/\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/?cat=101"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/IMG_0626_V2_HighRes.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/IMG_0626_V2_HighRes.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/IMG_0626_V2_HighRes.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/IMG_0626_V2_HighRes.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/IMG_0626_V2_HighRes.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2142,"url":"https:\/\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/?p=2142","url_meta":{"origin":2896,"position":5},"title":"Meg George","author":"Staff","date":"November 7, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Bringing Philanthropy Full Circle By Jamie Jenson | Photography by Sheena Christ of Torrent Photography A quick perusal of Meg George\u2019s resume might yield a few surprises. For starters, though she earned a degree in French from LeMoyne College, her professional experience after graduating from LeMoyne has been in development,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Featured&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Featured","link":"https:\/\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/?cat=99"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/Meg-work-rebrand-4-of-6.jpg?fit=1200%2C791&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/Meg-work-rebrand-4-of-6.jpg?fit=1200%2C791&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/Meg-work-rebrand-4-of-6.jpg?fit=1200%2C791&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/Meg-work-rebrand-4-of-6.jpg?fit=1200%2C791&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/Meg-work-rebrand-4-of-6.jpg?fit=1200%2C791&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2896","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2896"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2896\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2899,"href":"https:\/\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2896\/revisions\/2899"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/2897"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2896"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2896"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2896"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}