Nearly all of us feel at odds with the organizations we work for at one time or another. Many who don’t fit in with the corporate culture choose to assimilate or leave. 

In everyday interactions, people face choices: to remain silent or speak up, to ignore an offensive comment or challenge it, to comply with stereotypical expectations or challenge them, to pass as an insider or stand out as an outsider. Whatever the motivation, when people remain silent—even as observers—in response to demeaning interactions, their silence reinforces existing patterns of power and exclusion. And people do remain silent—often not by conscious choice but because they feel that they have no choice. They feel that their survival in the organization requires that they not speak up.

Women are the great communicators, right? We certainly are more likely than our male counterparts to insist that problems be talked through, that feelings be expressed, that we be truly heard and understood. However, while women may be skilled at communicating intimately with those we love, some of our communication styles are not conducive to achieving success in the business world. In order to succeed in business or successfully climb the corporate ladder, women need to use communication tools that effectively express their confidence, intelligence, strength, and ability – women must learn to communicate fearlessly!