Sheryl Sandberg, COO of Facebook has just written a book called Lean In: Woman, Work and the Will to Lead

In today’s Globe and Mail Naomi Wolf talks about the controversy of some of Ms. Sandbergs recommendations.

I highly recommend reading both the article by Naomi Wolf and the Book by Ms. Sandberg.

I’m particularly pleased to see that Sandberg feels that women need to work on negotiation and public speaking. It was only after being frustrated by seeing women missing opportunities in their careers that I felt compelled to write a book for women on communication skills.  It is unfortunate but still true that we judge different speakers differently.  If you hear a man speaking in a soft voice you might think he is ‘gentle’ whereas a woman is likely thought to be timid.  If you hear a woman speaking loudly you may think her aggressive or even the ‘b’ word.  A man is more likely to be judged as excited or passionate.

Ms. Sandberg notes that ‘no one trains women in something as simple but critical as speaking in a strong, declarative voice’.    It’s not difficult to do and it is so much more effective than ending a sentence with “upseak” that makes them sound like they are asking a question.

At Hunt Communicaton we offer communication solutions for everyone:
A. I address this particular issue on page 135 of Your Voice Matters.
B. We offer result driven programs; Communication Skills For Women specifically addresses communication challenges that women in leadership face.