Women in Science and Business – Language and Power – Who Gets Heard and Why


This workshop will give you the opportunity to examine the distinctions between communication styles at work – support-oriented (horizontal) versus status-oriented (vertical); these communication styles can determine success or failure within a largely male-dominated environment. Each style has its strengths and weaknesses; a solid awareness of both is the way to create progress. We will consider routine examples from your working environment demonstrating those communication strategies and behaviours that can drive a career up or down.


You will be introduced to strategies to manage these differences constructively to your advantage and empowerment as well as tactics to avoid the pitfalls so as to be able to manoeuvre round career hurdles.


During the workshop, in order to safeguard a more long-lasting efficacy of the insights gained, we will also look at the concept of ‘Success Teams’ – a practical peer-coaching process using individually-articulated questions to support progress towards specific goals. You will receive a short questionnaire four weeks prior so that the workshop can specifically address your core needs, and to clarify technical and operational prerequisites.

Day 1 Workshop:

  • Consolidating awareness of the dichotomy of communication styles in terms of recognition, acknowledgement, and deployment.
  • Consolidating awareness of power differentials and according strategies: assertiveness and appropriateness, differentiation according to group composition, responses to adversarial challenges.
  • Introduction and practical application of ‘Success Teams’.

  • Day 2 Workshop:

    Follow-up day to reinforce, strengthen and discuss practice, assess experience post 1st day workshop, and discuss the progress of the success team projects.

    The two-day workshop will be followed by a maximum of eight one-to-one coaching sessions of 60 minutes each. The aim of the personal one hour coaching session is to support you in addressing your individual issues.