Code Switching Skills

"Does it ever seem that men are speaking in code and you're on the outside?

Do they shut you down or ignore you when you speak?

Perhaps you are speaking in code, too - a different code."

This is the basis behind Code Switching-how to talk so men will listen by Claire Damken Brown and Audrey Nelson. Here is a book also based on how to get ahead in a male dominated workplace but again I think we can use these same principles in our home life. I am well aware that the communication skills I have with my Dear Hubby is not just by chance. Both of us come from previous marriages and we have taken what we learned from our mistakes to make this marriage stronger.

The number one skill is communication. And I had to learn that we did not speak the same language even though it sounded the same. We did learn about Code Switching. Brown and Nelson remind us that "men and women DO have unique communication styles that don’t always mesh well. Code Switching offers a way of “reaching across the aisle” to open the lines of communication. It helps both women and men crack the gender code and speak in common terms, so work gets done, conflict gets resolved, and mutual understanding and respect prevail … in the workplace and beyond." This book focuses on working women and how they can best communicate to get their message across to the men they work with. For men are pretty straight forward in business and women often look at how a business interacts. Both of these factors are great for a companies growth, but only if all can communicate to each other.

I know I have used the skills that I employed in the work world in my home life. I am sure you have too. This just may be a book that can be a cross over for both work, home and social help. I would recommend it to those who would like to be able to have good communication skills where ever they are.