202 PowerPhrases in Action
PowerPhrases between the Genders
Are Not Mean When You Say Them
For too long, women have been criticized for their sensitivity
and men have been criticized for their lack of it. There is a Tim
Allen comedy routine about his wife’s car running out of oil.
He asks, “Didn’t the oil light go on?” She replies, “Why yes, it
did!” He responds,
Tell me, how did you FEEL about that?While this kind of sarcastic ridicule is funny in the abstract, it
can be very painful in life.
Men, if someone is emoting and you need to get them to
focus on the facts, do so without being critical in any way. Avoid
saying,
Don’t give me any of that emotional garbage. Just tell me
you’ll be on time.say,
I understand that you are facing personal challenges
and, of course, that will affect your work. I am faced
with the problem that I need someone at your station
on time. How can we make that happen?Women, be aware that men use sports, military, and sexual
jargon in their conversations more than women. It is very help-
ful for women to learn the language and use it, with the exclu-
sion of sexual jargon.