june edmonton sg - cbc.ca · for mistakes. 5. are team players. ... my boss tends to prefer very...

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Learning English with CBC

Edmonton

Monthly feature story:

Communication between

men and women in the

workplace

June 2013 Lesson plans created by Justine Light

http://www.cbc.ca/edmonton/learning‐english/ www.alberta.ca


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Feature Story Objectives

Communication between men and women in the workplace

CLB competency outcomes Listening: Reading: Speaking: Writing:

L: Identify factual details and some implied meanings in extended narration; identify situation, purpose of speech, and relationship between speakers. R: Access, locate, integrate, interpret, and analyze information contained in a two or three page moderately complex text on a familiar or work related topic; draw conclusions. S: (knowledge and strategies) Produce intelligible and communicatively effective pronunciation. W: Take notes from an audio. W: Write a summary.

Language skills Vocabulary: Use vocabulary words in context

Grammar: Understand the use and meaning of adverbs

Pronunciation: Understand and practice thought groups in speech

Language Activities (in order of appearance in materials)

Considering discussion questions about a short background text on positive workplace behaviours Completing pre‐listening activities to build vocabulary and prepare learners for audio Listening to the audio to identify facts and details Listening to audio to take notes using abbreviations Recognising the use of thought groups in speech Identifying the uses of adverbs Completing a pre‐ reading vocabulary activity Answering questions about details and inferred meaning from a written text Evaluating information in a written text Writing a summary based on a written text


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Introduction ‐ Background reading

Working in Alberta: A guide for internationally trained and educated immigrants http://alis.alberta.ca/ep/careershop/showproduct.html?DisplayCode=PRODUCT&EntityKey=3527 What do employers want? 13 qualities of valued employees No matter what business they are in, employers are usually looking for certain qualities in their employees. Valued employees: 1. are prepared. They come to work willing to do the job, pay attention and follow

directions.

2. have a positive attitude and show enthusiasm for their job.

3. ask questions if they do not understand something.

4. are open to learning new personal and technical skills. This includes taking responsibility

for mistakes.

5. are team players. They work well with others to achieve a common goal.

6. take initiative. If they see something that needs to be done, they do it. They do not wait

for someone to ask them to do it.

7. dress appropriately for the type of work they are hired to do.

8. have good attendance records. They show up for all of their scheduled shifts.

9. are on time, whether it is showing up for work, returning from breaks, going to staff

meetings or completing tasks.

10. call if they know they will be late or if they are unable to come to work—but they do not

abuse this privilege.

11. work safely and are healthy. They come to work substance‐free. This includes not using

alcohol or drugs and making sure that any medications they may take do not interfere with

their ability to do their job.

12. are honest and trustworthy.

13. are knowledgeable about the company or organization.

Food for thought: Which of the above qualities are your strengths? How could you describe these strengths in a job interview?


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The Audio

In this audio, you will hear CBC journalist Adrienne Lamb talking with regular CBC Edmonton workplace columnist, Margot Ross Graham about the different communication styles between men and women in the workplace.

CBC Journalist Adrienne Lamb (CBC file photo)

Workplace columnist Margot Ross Graham (Used with permission: http://www.williamsengineering.com/company/leadership/margotross‐graham)

Before you listen: Have you worked in an environment with men and women? Have you ever thought that men and women communicate and interact in different ways?

0:00 ADRIENNE LAMB

It has been said when it comes to love men are from Mars, right, and women are from Venus. But our workplace columnist says there are similar differences in the office as well. Margot Ross‐Graham joins me now with more on that. Morning!


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Pre‐listening vocabulary

The words below are from the audio. The definitions are next to the words. Read the definitions then complete the sentences.

Extra vocabulary to help you understand the listening:

Blanket statements: generalizations about groups which describe general behaviours and attitudes but may not describe every single group member.

WORD DEFINITION

A. mitigate make something less serious or severe

B. verbal relating to spoken words

C. non‐verbal relates to communication that does not use words, such as body

language

D. tend do something usually, on a regular basis

E. engagement to be involved with something, paying attention to something

F. deflect send something in a different direction

G. stance the way someone stands

H. confrontational deliberately causing an argument or fight

I. collaboration when two or more people work together to achieve a goal

J. misinterpret to understand something incorrectly and not in the way it was meant

K. elaborate to expand on an explanation using more details and information

L. curt to be short in reply to someone almost to the point of being rude

M. flower up to use language that is too fancy or detailed for the conversation

N. detach to separate yourself from something emotionally or physically

O. assertive confident in the way you behave or act


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Use the vocabulary words to complete the following sentences. (Answers can be found in the appendix.)

1. I wanted to ______________________ the attention away from my work and give

my colleagues the credit for their work.

2. My children and their friends ______________________ to play video games

rather than go outside and play in the yard.

3. The students in our class always have high levels of ______________________ with

our teacher’s lessons because they are very interesting.

4. Often we can get as much meaning from the ______________________ messages

people send through their body language as we do from their

______________________ communication.

5. It is important to listen carefully to what our boss asks us to do so we do not

______________________ what he wants.

6. If you want to ______________________ your financial worries, it is a good idea to

have a savings account just for emergencies.

7. We used to have very ______________________ communication at work but our

new boss has asked us to work together and she encourages ___________________

8. When you are speaking to a co‐worker it is important to avoid an aggressive

______________________; you could try turning to face him/her to show that you

are open and listening to his/her opinions.

9. I wish my co‐worker would not always feel the need to ______________________

on every idea she has. Sometimes I just want to hear about the main idea not all of

the details.

10. My boss tends to prefer very simple descriptions, and he becomes impatient if we

______________________ our reports.

11. I have found that it is important to be ______________________, confident and

clear when I explain my opinions, but to avoid being aggressive.

12. If there is a disagreement in our family I usually ______________________ from the

situation and wait for everyone to calm down.

13. Sometimes my co‐worker can be too ______________________ when he gives

instructions, which makes me feel like I have done something wrong.


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Listening for meaning Listen to the interview and complete the following table.

Men Women

Amount of explanation given during communication

Meaning of nodding

Face‐to‐face body language

Tips for communication

Now use the notes you have taken above to answer the following questions. You may choose to listen to the audio a second time before you answer the questions. (Answers can be found in the appendix)

1. In your own words, explain the difference in the amount of explanation men and women tend to give to support their opinion.


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2. Margot Ross Graham explains that both men and women tend to nod, but for each

group the nod sends a different meaning. Explain the two different meanings that nods can give to men and women.

3. Why might a man misinterpret the meaning of a woman’s body language if she is facing

him directly? 4. Give three tips for women about communicating in the workplace based on Margot

Ross Graham’s explanation. 5. Give two tips for men about communicating in the workplace based on Margot Ross

Graham’s explanation. 6. What advice could any individual, male or female, learn about workplace

communication from this interview?

(Answers can be found in the appendix.)


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Listening strategies –Using abbreviations in note‐taking

Taking notes from a lecture or while listening can help you to identify and remember the main points and ideas. It is impossible to write down everything you hear – you can only record the main ideas. Sometimes when you review your notes you might find they just look like a jumble of words and points. Using abbreviations can help you to speed up the rate of note taking that you can achieve. It is important to develop a systematic approach to abbreviations so that you are able to understand the notes a few weeks or months after the day of the lecture.

Here are some suggestions specifically from this audio:

Word Possible abbreviation

Men

Women

Workplace W/P

Communicating Commct

Misunderstand Misu/stand

Opinion opn

Point of view P.O.V.


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Standard abbreviations for common words

word Possible abbreviation

with w/

because . .

.

therefore .

. .

is =

isn’t ≠

and &

more +

less ‐

decrease

increase

negative ‐ive

good ✔

Practice writing abbreviations using these sentences from the audio – rewrite them in an abbreviated form. (Answers can be found in the appendix).

1. When men would like to get to the point; they are very specific, they are very directed.

__________________________________________________________________

2. For men a good suggestion is to think through and listen to what the individual is saying before deciding what it is that they are saying and jumping in and finishing what it is they were saying because you think they are giving too much information. __________________________________________________________________

3. That’s not a negative thing, that’s not a confrontational thing that is simply owning what it is that you have to say and respecting what others have to say around you.

__________________________________________________________________

Now listen to the audio again. Take notes using abbreviations where possible.


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Building speaking skills ‐ Pronunciation: Thought groups

When speaking in English, some words get grouped together into thought groups. Listen

to the excerpt below and notice where the thought groups (//) are marked.

ADRIENNE I see in my mind// two people travelling on their way to work//, a husband and wife// in the car//, and he’s pointing to her// and she’s pointing to him //ah? Ah? Ah?// So when it comes to this// what about those non‐verbal cues// like body language.//I noticed when you were explaining that// you were using your hands.

Thought groups make speech easier to understand and more natural to listen to. If you

pause in the wrong place, or don’t pause at all, it can make your speech more difficult to

understand. Now listen to another excerpt and try to mark where the speaker uses thought

groups.

(Answers can be found in the appendix.)

1:19 MARGOT Sure, body language is a very interesting one. So one of the things I know about how

women communicate with body language is women tend to nod in understanding, whereas men in general tend to nod in agreement. Those are pretty different non‐verbal cues.

2:20 MARGOT Yeah! Which is quite different from women. So you can imagine again, just by body language there can often be these misinterpretations about what people are thinking, what they are saying, how they are approaching that may be a similar problem.

Now listen to both excerpts several times and practice saying them with thought groups.

You can speak at the same time as the speaker, or, if she is too fast, you can listen and then

practice.


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Grammar Activity – Understanding Adverbs

“Adverbs modify verbs and contribute meaning of various sorts to sentences.” (Celce Murcia & Larsen Freeman (1999)

We can use adverbs in our writing to add extra information and create more interesting descriptions.

Adverbs can modify the following aspects of a sentence*:

manner – Women react more emotionally in the workplace.

This adverb describes and gives extra information about how women react, which is the verb in the sentence.

frequency – There can often be misunderstandings when men and women communicate.

This adverb adds a sense of how frequently this misunderstanding occurs.

Celce Murcia and Larsen Freeman note that adverbs are quite flexible in their position in the sentence. Compare the two phrases from the audio that demonstrate this flexibility:

… when women verbally communicate…

…women react emotionally …

Furthermore, adverbs can add information about:

direction – Jennifer will go there.

location – Air Canada flies internationally.

time – I will make supper soon.

Adverbs can also make adjectives stronger. These adjectives are called intensifiers. They include words like very and so.

…why are they being so curt with me?

Look at the text of the audio on page 27 & 28. Underline all the adverbs you can identify. What extra information are the adverbs giving you?

* Celce Murcia, M. & Larsen Freeman, D. (1999) The grammar book. Heinle & Heinle: USA.


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Reading Text: Occupational information ‐ Human Resources Professional Pre‐reading vocabulary

The following vocabulary activity will help you to understand the reading below. Match each word to its correct definition. (Answers can be found in the appendix.)

1. facilitate (verb) A. ensuring a person stays in a job

2. recruitment (noun) B. the number of workers who leave an employer during a period of time

3. retention (noun) C. possible, could happen in the future

4. selection (noun) D. make something easier

5. turnover (noun) E. to begin to use or do something

6. strategies (noun) F. agreeing to do what you have been asked or told

7. potential (adjective)

G. the process of finding and hiring the best person for a job

8. implement (verb) H. a strategy for identifying people in a company or organization who could be the leaders of the future

9. succession planning (noun)

I. choosing a person or thing that is best for something

10. evaluate (verb) J. a plan of action or process to achieve something

11. compensation (noun)

K. Try to reach an agreement about work, pay, benefits

12. compliance (noun) L. to figure out the amount, value or importance of something

13. collective agreement (noun)

M. to make sense of data, rules, information

14. negotiating Verb – gerund)

N. salary and benefits

15. interpreting (verb –gerund)

O. contract between labor and management governing wages and benefits and working conditions

16. allocating (verb‐ gerund)

P. dividing something out for a specific reason


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Reading Text: Occupational information - Human Resources Professional Human resources professionals facilitate the effective use of human resources to achieve organizational goals and objectives. They provide advice to all levels of their organizations regarding human resources management, develop employee recruitment and retention programs, assist in the selection of job candidates, facilitate employee professional development, and develop and administer other human resource programs.

Also Known As:

Human Resources Officer/Administrator, Labour Dispute Negotiator, Negotiator, Recruitment Officer, Trainer, Wage and Salary Administrator

NOC Number(s): 1223

Minimum Education: 4 years post‐secondary education/training

Employment Outlook: Job openings: turnover plus new jobs due to below average growth in occupation in Alberta 2012‐2016

Duties

In general, human resources professionals:

• work with managers and staff to develop human resource strategies and programs that address the organization's needs and strategic plans

• develop and implement recruitment and retention programs that identify potential labour markets, attract potential employees and retain current employees

• develop and implement succession planning initiatives to facilitate knowledge transfer before employees retire

• work with occupational health and safety officers to develop and implement employee wellness and workplace safety programs

• work with managers to prepare and evaluate position descriptions, interview applicants and conduct reference checks

• provide advice regarding compensation practices and exceptions available to attract key talent, and make salary recommendations

• provide advice regarding employee relations issues • arrange for and, in some cases, deliver training programs for employees • ensure compliance with employment legislation • administer employment policies and programs (for example, performance


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management and employee recognition programs) • evaluate collective agreements and employee benefit plans (for

example, group life insurance, sickness and accident benefits, health insurance, holidays and retirement pension plans) and supervise staff who administer benefit and reward programs

• assist with labour relations and in preparing, researching and negotiating collective agreements

• use and oversee the management of human resource information systems.

In larger organizations, human resources professionals may specialize in:

• recruitment and selection ‐ advertising vacant positions, screening applications, ensuring that all applicants are evaluated on the basis of their qualifications and that recruitment standards are fair, selecting or helping to select the best qualified applicants, conducting reference checks and preparing employment contracts.

• labour relations ‐ negotiating and interpreting collective agreements. • classification ‐ establishing positions that fit organizational requirements,

evaluating and allocating positions, and conducting reviews to ensure consistency with others in the industry.

• compensation ‐ gathering and interpreting compensation related data, recommending changes to compensation programs, and developing and implementing incentive programs.

• training and development ‐ identifying and providing (or arranging for) ways to improve employee competence and versatility.

• performance management ‐ defining performance standards consistent with the organization's mission, culture, environment, strategy and structure.

• employee benefits administration ‐ co‐ordinating employee benefit plans related to life, medical, dental or disability insurance.

• human resource planning ‐ forecasting the organization's human resource needs and helping management develop human resource policies and procedures.

In a small business, one general manager may be responsible for all human resources work and may have other responsibilities as well.

Personal Characteristics

Human resources professionals need the following characteristics:

• good analytical and problem solving skills • integrity and good judgement • sensitivity and the ability to keep employee information confidential • the ability to communicate well with people in person and in writing • tact and diplomacy • strong interpersonal skills


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• the ability to understand a variety of viewpoints • leadership ability • good organization and time management skills • the ability to earn the trust and co‐operation of managers, unions and employees.

They should enjoy coaching and counselling managers and employees, taking a methodical approach to their work, and taking responsibility for projects.

Educational Requirements

Human resource professionals need a solid understanding of relevant legislation and business or public administration, and the goals and objectives of their organizations. Most employers prefer to hire human resources professionals who have a degree or diploma in a field related to human resource management (for example, business administration, commerce, industrial relations or a related social science).

Employment and Advancement

Human resources professionals are employed in:

• educational institutions • federal, provincial and municipal governments • large and medium sized businesses • manufacturing firms • health care institutions • financial institutions.

Some human resources professionals are self‐employed consultants.

Experienced human resources professionals may move into supervisory and management positions.

Employment turnover is expected to increase as members of the baby boom generation retire over the next few years.

Salary

According to the 2011 Alberta Wage and Salary Survey, Albertans in the Personnel and Recruitment Officers occupational group earned on average from $24.00 to $59.50 an hour. The mean wage for this group was $37.13 an hour.


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Reading for meaning

Read the following statements. Identify whether the statements are true or false based upon the text above. If you choose false, write a correct version of the sentence.

(Answers can be found in the appendix).

1. Post‐secondary education is not a requirement of being and Human Resources

Professional (HRP). TRUE/FALSE

2. While HRPs work in the area of employee recruitment, they are not involved in

issues related to labour relations. TRUE/FALSE

3. It is important for an HRP to have good analytical skills as well as be tactful and

diplomatic. TRUE/FALSE

4. HRPs need to be able to maintain confidentiality about the information they may

discover when they work with employees. TRUE/FALSE

5. An HRP does not need to be concerned with employment law as this information

will be provided by others within an organization. TRUE/FALSE

6. An HRP could be employed in a wide range of organizations including schools,

colleges and banks. TRUE/FALSE

7. The salary range for an HRP is from $24 per hour to $159.00 per hour. TRUE/FALSE


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Reading Strategies – Evaluating a text

The goal of the reading strategies of the monthly feature is to help you become a better reader of all reading texts – not just this text. Do you think that human resources professional would be a good job for you? Look at the job description for a human resources professional on pages 12‐15. Think about 2 of the duties, 2 of the personal characteristics, and the educational requirements needed from the job description. Use your choices to explain why you think being a human resources professional is, or is not, a good job for you. A sample has been done to help you. Human Resources Professional Me

Do you think being a human resources professional is a good choice for you?

No, I don’t think being a human resources professional would be a good choice for me.

Duty: develop and implement recruitment and retention programs that identify potential labour

I enjoy working with existing issues and problems rather than researching future issues.

Duty: use and oversee the management of human resource information systems.

I do not feel comfortable working with computers.

Personal Characteristic: Tact and diplomacy I tend to say what I am thinking without thinking too long about it.

Personal Characteristic: Good organization and time management skills

I often do not finish things until the last minute or even late.

Educational requirement: 4 years of post secondary education

I only have a two year college diploma.


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Human Resources Professional Me

Do you think being a human resources professional is a good choice for you?

Duty:

Duty:

Personal Characteristic:

Personal Characteristic:

Educational requirement:


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Writing Activity – Writing a summary How to write a summary Writing a summary is an important writing skill. The process of writing a summary can help you to understand a text you are reading; the summary itself can show your teacher how well you understand and can express a text in your own words. It is important to remember that when you write a summary, you should use your own words but keep the ideas and organization of the original text. A summary should be shorter than the original text and you can do this by trying to cut out all of the details and examples that are not needed. When you are planning and writing your summary, think about what the author is saying. Below are some steps that will help you to write a good summary.

1. Skim the text – check out the title and sub‐headings and think about the main ideas you can get from these.

2. Read the text from beginning to end. What is the author saying? 3. If you have a photocopy of the text (not the original book or magazine), circle

the key words, or highlight the main idea of each section. 4. Re‐read the main points you have highlighted. 5. Identify the title, author and original date of the text you are going to

summarize. 6. Write one sentence that summarizes the main idea of the text. 7. Write the main points and important details in your own words. You will have to

use the same technical vocabulary and proper names for things in the original text. Do not waste words by using such expressions as, “The original text says,” or “The author states…” The whole summary tells us what the original text says.

8. Keep the same organization as the original author. 9. Do not add your own ideas or conclusion, unless your teacher specifically asks

you to do this. 10. Proofread your summary – ask yourself, “Have I kept the authors original ideas

but used my own words?”

Re‐read the text above: Occupational information ‐ Human Resources Professional. Using the steps suggested above, write a summary of one section of the text, for example: HR duties, HR specializations, or Personal characteristics of HR professional. Write the summary in one paragraph.

You can see an example summary of one section of the text in the appendix.


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Links For more information about becoming a human resources professional:

http://alis.alberta.ca/occinfo/Content/RequestAction.asp?aspAction=GetHTMLPr

ofile&format=html&occPro_ID=71003303&SNT_ID=25

To watch videos about a wide range of occupational profiles from the Alberta

Government:

http://alis.alberta.ca/videoplayer/player.aspx?vk=3

To learn about career planning, education and employment information through

a series of videos, check out:

http://alis.alberta.ca/videoplayer/player.aspx?vk=1

For information from the Federal government about Education, Training and

Skills Development as well as jobs, Employment and the Labour Market:

http://www.hrsdc.gc.ca/eng/jobs/index.shtml

Adrienne Lamb makes a comment, Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus.

This is the title if a very famous book. Here is a YouTube video of the author

talking about this book:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PJNPCki2GpM


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Appendix ‐ Answer Keys

Pre‐listening vocabulary

1. I wanted to deflect the attention away from my work and give my colleagues the

credit for their work.

2. My children and their friends tend to play video games rather than go outside and

play in the yard.

3. The students in our class always have high levels of engagement with our teacher’s

lessons because they are very interesting.

4. Often we can get as much meaning from the non‐verbal messages people send

through their body language as we do from their verbal communication.

5. It is important to listen carefully to what our boss asks us to do so we do not

misinterpret what he wants.

6. Sometimes my co‐worker can be too curt when he gives instruction, which makes

me feel like I have done something wrong.

7. If you want to mitigate your financial worries, it is a good idea to have a savings

account just for emergencies.

8. We used to have very confrontational communication at work but our new boss has

asked us to work together and she encourages collaboration.

9. When you are speaking to a co‐worker it is important to avoid an aggressive stance;

you could try turning to face him/her to show that you are open and listening to

his/her opinions.

10. I wish my co‐worker would not always feel the need to elaborate on every idea she

has. Sometimes I just want to hear about the main idea not all of the details.

11. My boss tends to prefer very simple descriptions, and he becomes impatient if we

flower up our reports.

12. I have found that it is important to be assertive, confident and clear when I explain

my opinions, but to avoid being aggressive.

13. If there is a disagreement in our family I usually detach from the situation and wait

for everyone to calm down.


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Listening for meaning 1. In your own words, explain the difference in the amount of explanation men and

women tend to give to support their opinion. Men tend to get to the point – very directly with fewer words. Women tend to elaborate their opinion with a lot of information and so it seems to take longer to get to the point.

2. Margot Ross Graham explains that both men and women tend to nod, but for each

group the nod sends a different meaning. Explain the two different meanings that nods can give to men and women. When men nod it means they agree with what you are saying. When women nod it means they understand what you are saying – not necessarily agreeing.

3. Why might a man misinterpret the meaning of a woman’s body language if she is facing

him directly? A man feels that directly facing a person is an aggressive position – meaning I am going to stand my ground. For a woman this stance means that “ I am listening to you.”

4. Give three tips for women about communicating in the workplace based on Margot

Ross Graham’s explanation. 1. Be very prepared with what you want to say. 2. Stick to the point without adding a lot of extra information. 3. Stay away from emotional reactions.

5. Give two tips for men about communicating in the workplace based on Margot Ross

Graham’s explanation. 1. Think through and listen fully to what people are saying to you before you think you

already know what they are saying. 2. Ask for feedback on what is said to you.

6. What advice could any individual, male or female, learn about workplace

communication from this interview? Be assertive – not aggressive. Express your point of view but listen to the point of view of others.

Listening strategies – Abbreviations

1. When men would like to get to the point; they are very specific, they are very directed.

like get 2 point = v. specific, v. directed 2. For men a good suggestion is to think through and listen to what the individual is saying

before deciding what it is that they are saying and jumping in and finishing what it is they were saying because you think they are giving too much information.

good suggstn = think & listen before deciding it is +++ info


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3. That’s not a negative thing, that’s not a confrontational thing that is simply owning what it is that you have to say and respecting what others have to say around you. ≠ ‐ive ≠ confrontational

Own what you say & respect & around you Speaking skills – Pronunciation: Thought groups

1:19 MARGOT Sure,// body language is a very interesting one//. So one of the things I know about how women communicate with body language is // women tend to nod in understanding//, whereas// men// in general tend to nod in agreement.// Those are pretty different non‐verbal cues.

2:20 MARGOT Yeah//! Which is quite different from women//. So you can imagine again//, just by body language there can often be these misinterpretations about// what people are thinking//, what they are saying//, how they are approaching that may be a similar problem//.

Grammar – Adverbs

Adverbs in the text of the audio – highlighted in yellow:

SPEAKER COMMUNICATION BETWEEN MEN AND WOMEN IN THE WORKPLACE

0:00 Adrienne Lamb

It’s been said when it comes to love men are from Mars, right, and women are from Venus. But our workplace columnist says there are similar differences in the office as well. Margot Ross‐Graham joins me now with more on that. Morning!

0:13 Margot Ross Graham

Good Morning, Adrienne.

0:15 Adrienne So let’s start with the different ways that men and women communicate with one another. Thoughts on the office and that communication?

0:22 Margot Yeah, so one of the things that we know is people in general communicate differently and of course what we are going to talk about may sound like blanket statements about men and women, but I think it’s important to just to be aware that there are differences in their communication styles and how we might mitigate them. So, women when they verbally communicate, they tend to want to explain their point, give you all of the extra information that’s important to the conversation. Whereas men when they communicate on average they like to get right to the point, very directed, very specific. So you can imagine how those 2 individuals communicating with each other with completely different ways of doing it can


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run into some disagreement with understanding.

1:03 Adrienne I see in my mind, two people travelling on their way to work and he’s pointing to her and she’s pointing to him ah? Ah? Ah? So when it comes to this what about those non‐verbal cues, like body language? I noticed when you were explaining that you were using your hands.

1:19 Margot Sure, body language is a very interesting one. So one of the things I know about how women communicate with body language is women tend to nod in understanding, whereas men tend in general to nod in agreement. Those are pretty different non‐verbal cues.

1:34 Adrienne Say that again because that’s important. 1:36 Margot So women will nod in understanding

1:39 Adrienne So I’m saying, “Uh‐huh, uh‐huh.” Except I’m not saying “Uh‐huh” as I nod my head. 1:44 Margot Right, and men tend to nod in agreement. So I might understand but they think I’m actually

agreeing with what they’re saying. And so that in and of itself. Another thing that’s interesting is that women like to reflect engagement by face to face, and they deflect that engagement by standing shoulder to shoulder. So when women are in agreement and engaged with someone they are face‐to‐face with them. When men do that on average it tends to be more of an aggressive stance…

2:09 Adrienne …Confrontational, in your face kind of thing…. 2:11 Margot Well it’s that tends to be, “I’m standing my ground” and I’m now face‐to‐face. Whereas,

shoulder‐to‐shoulder reflects more of collaboration. 2:19 Adrienne On the same side? 2:20 Margot Yeah! Which is quite different from women. So you can imagine again, just by body language

there can often be these misinterpretations about what people are thinking, what they are saying, how they are approaching that may be a similar problem.

2:33 Adrienne This is what you do. Give me a real life example of where you have seen this happen. 2:37 Margot Well you can see that often in workplaces when people are having a debate about some

particular topic. When men would like to get to the point; they are very specific, they are very directed. And because women tend to elaborate on their points they tend to be wondering why are they being so curt and so short with me? And the man is often thinking why are they keep flowering up this conversation let’s get to where we want to get to. And it’s that often is something that plays out every day in the workplace. Neither of them are confrontational. Neither of them are sometimes in agreement or disagreement. They are expressing an opinion and they are coming out in quite different ways. And so, at work that happens a lot where people misunderstand where the other individual is coming from. And again, I say it as men and women, and that tends to be a core way of communicating but that doesn't mean we all can’t learn the other person’s style of communicating and figure out how we might do that ourselves. So for women, some tips that they have, that I would have for women communicating in the workplace is being very prepared with what it is that you want to say, and sticking to the


26

points, without adding all the information that maybe isn’t important and you know trying to stay away from some of the more emotional reactions to things which is a different reaction than men have. Women tend to react more emotionally in the workplace to topics or ideas. Whereas men detach themselves from these emotions. So for women when communicating with others in the workplace be aware of that, and be prepared to manage those reactions. For men, a good suggestion is to think through and listen to what the individual is saying before deciding what it is that they are saying and jumping in and finishing the statement because you think they are giving too much information. So listening more, maybe asking for some feedback on, “Is this exactly what it is that you were saying, or are you saying something different?” So waiting it out. And if those two could come together, I think we would have much fewer miscommunications in the workplace. But I think what’s important for both, is that both…any individual in the workplace should be confident enough to speak with lots of…be assertive in their speaking, not aggressive but be assertive. And when you are being assertive really what you are doing is you are expressing your point of view but you are respecting the other individual’s point of view. That’s not a negative thing, that’s not a confrontational thing. That is simply owning what it is that you have to say and respecting what others have to say around you.

5:09 Adrienne Well thanks for owning this Margot. 5:11 Margot Have a great week! 5:12 Adrienne You, too. That’s Margot Ross Graham, she’s the Vice President at Williams Engineering.

Reading Activity Pre‐reading vocabulary

1. facilitate (verb) D A. ensuring a person stays in a job

2. recruitment (noun) G B. the number of workers who leave an employer during a period of time

3. retention (noun) A C. possible, could happen in the future

4. selection (noun) I D. make something easier

5. turnover (noun) B E. to begin to use or do something

6. strategies (noun) J F. agreeing to do what you have been asked or told

7. potential (adjective) C G. the process of finding and hiring the best person for a job

8. implement (verb) E H. a strategy for identifying people in a company or organization who could be the leaders of the future


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9. succession planning (noun)

H I. choosing a person or thing that is best for something

10. evaluate (verb) L J. a plan of action or process to achieve something

11. compensation (noun)

N K. trying to reach an agreement about work, pay, benefits

12. compliance (noun) F L. to figure out the amount, value or importance of something

13. collective agreement (noun)

O M. making sense of data, rules, information

14. negotiating Verb – gerund)

K N. salary and benefits

15. interpreting (verb –gerund)

M O. contract between labour and management about wages, benefits & working conditions

16. allocating (verb‐ gerund)

P P. dividing something out for a specific reason

Reading for meaning

1. Post‐secondary education is not a requirement of being and Human Resources

Professional (HRP). FALSE – Four years post secondary education is required to

work as an HRP.

2. While HRPs work in the area of employee recruitment, they are not involved in

issues related to labour relations. FALSE – HRPs assist with labour relations and

negotiating collective agreements.

3. It is important for an HRP to have good analytical skills as well as be tactful and

diplomatic. TRUE

4. HRPs need to be able to maintain confidentiality about the information they may

discover when they work with employees. TRUE

5. An HRP does not need to be concerned with employment law as this information

will be provided by others within an organization. FALSE – An HRP needs to be

aware of labour law and ensure the organization complies with these laws.


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6. An HRP could be employed in a wide range of organizations including schools,

colleges and banks. TRUE

7. The salary range for an HRP is from $24 per hour to $159.00 per hour. FALSE ‐ The

salary range for an HRP is from $24 per hour to $59.00 per hour

Reading Strategies

Writing activity – Duties of an HR professional ‐ Summary

The duties of a human resources professional are wide ranging and cover all aspects of

recruiting, retaining, evaluating and training of employees in an organization. The HRP

participates in hiring new employees, determining pay scales and job descriptions as well as

conducting interviews and reference checks. Long term planning known as succession

planning is also an important responsibility of the HRP. Labour relations in an organization

as well as negotiating collective agreements and benefit packages, as well as following

employee legislation are all duties of the HRP.


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Appendix – Transcript

SPEAKER COMMUNICATION BETWEEN MEN AND WOMEN IN THE WORKPLACE

0:00 Adrienne Lamb

It’s been said when it comes to love men are from Mars, right, and women are from Venus. But our workplace columnist says there are similar differences in the office as well. Margot Ross‐Graham joins me now with more on that. Morning!

0:13 Margot Ross Graham

Good Morning, Adrienne.

0:15 Adrienne So let’s start with the different ways that men and women communicate with one another. Thoughts on the office and that communication?

0:22 Margot Yeah, so one of the things that we know is people in general communicate differently and of course what we are gong to talk about may sound like blanket statements about men and women, but I think it’s important to just to be aware that there are differences in their communication styles and how we might mitigate them. So, women when they verbally communicate, they tend to want to explain their point, give you all of the extra information that’s important to the conversation. Whereas men when they communicate on average they like to get right to the point, very directed, very specific. So you can imagine how those 2 individuals communicating with each other with completely different ways of doing it can run into some disagreement with understanding.

1:03 Adrienne I see in my mind, two people travelling on their way to work and he’s pointing to her and she’s pointing to him ah? Ah? Ah? So when it comes to this what about those non‐verbal cues, like body language? I noticed when you were explaining that you were using your hands.

1:19 Margot Sure, body language is a very interesting one. So one of the things I know about how women communicate with body language is women tend to nod in understanding, whereas men tend in general to nod in agreement. Those are pretty different non‐verbal cues.

1:34 Adrienne Say that again because that’s important. 1:36 Margot So women will nod in understanding

1:39 Adrienne So I’m saying, “Uh‐huh, uh‐huh.” Except I’m not saying “Uh‐huh” as I nod my head. 1:44 Margot Right, and men tend to nod in agreement. So I might understand but they think I’m actually

agreeing with what they’re saying. And so that in and of itself. Another thing that’s interesting is that women like to reflect engagement by face to face, and they deflect that engagement by standing shoulder to shoulder. So when women are in agreement and engaged with someone they are face‐to‐face with them. When men do that on average it tends to be more of an aggressive stance…

2:09 Adrienne …Confrontational, in your face kind of thing…. 2:11 Margot Well it’s that tends to be, “I’m standing my ground” and I’m now face‐to‐face. Whereas,

shoulder‐to‐shoulder reflects more of collaboration.


30

2:19 Adrienne On the same side? 2:20 Margot Yeah! Which is quite different from women. So you can imagine again, just by body language

there can often be these misinterpretations about what people are thinking, what they are saying, how they are approaching that may be a similar problem.

2:33 Adrienne This is what you do. Give me a real life example of where you have seen this happen. 2:37 Margot Well you can see that often in workplaces when people are having a debate about some

particular topic. When men would like to get to the point; they are very specific, they are very directed. And because women tend to elaborate on their points they tend to be wondering why are they being so curt and so short with me? And the man is often thinking why are they keep flowering up this conversation let’s get to where we want to get to. And it’s that often is something that plays out every day in the workplace. Neither of them are confrontational. Neither of them are sometimes in agreement or disagreement. They are expressing an opinion and they are coming out in quite different ways. And so, at work that happens a lot where people misunderstand where the other individual is coming from. And again, I say it as men and women, and that tends to be a core way of communicating but that doesn't mean we all cant learn the other person’s style of communicating and figure out how we might do that ourselves. So for women, some tips that they have, that I would have for women communicating in the workplace is being very prepared with what it is that you want to say, and sticking to the points, without adding all the information that maybe isn’t important and you know trying to stay away from some of the more emotional reactions to things which is a different reaction than men have. Women tend to react more emotionally in the workplace to topics or ideas. Whereas men detach themselves from these emotions. So for women when communicating with others in the workplace be aware of that, and be prepared to manage those reactions. For men a good suggestion is to think through and listen to what the individual is saying before deciding what it is that they are saying and jumping in and finishing the statement because you think they are giving too much information. So listening more, maybe asking for some feedback on, “Is this exactly what it is that you were saying, or are you saying something different?” So waiting it out. And if those two could come together, I think we would have much fewer miscommunications in the workplace. But I think what’s important for both, is that both…any individual in the workplace should be confident enough to speak with lots of…be assertive in their speaking, not aggressive but be assertive. And when you are being assertive really what you are doing is you are expressing your point of view but you are respecting the other individual’s point of view. That’s not a negative thing, that’s not a confrontational thing that is simply owning what it is that you have to say and respecting what others have to say around you.

5:09 Adrienne Well thanks for owning this Margot. 5:11 Margot Have a great week! 5:12 Adrienne You, too. That’s Margot Ross Graham, she’s the Vice President at Williams Engineering.

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