Why Are Women So Strange and Men So Weird or How to Communicate More Effectively with the Opposite Sex At Work and Home Bruce Christopher Summary by: Dr. Dorothy Whalen Bruce Christopher gave a humorous and informative lecture entitled “Why are Women so Strange and Men so Weird”. Bruce is a psychologist and humorist and his presentation blends practical applications within a laughing environment. Bruce asked the audience to form small groups and make a list of what bugs you about the opposite sex. The lists on both sides of the aisle were long and funny. Bruce suggested to us that the best communicators change their approach to the opposite sex. Why do men and women communicate differently? It has to do with the fact that men think “compartmentally” while women think “globally”. This difference makes it hard for us to connect with each other. The number one operating system for men is independence, for woman it is intimacy. Men speak in phrases with little or no detail and want just the facts. Men want the bottom line first. Women speak in paragraphs with historical narrative and lots of detail. Women speak to build a rapport. Men and women solve problems differently because we focus on different methods. Women use “process” decision-making, focusing on the formula and journey. Men use “product” decision-making, and focus on the answer and the journey. The personal application can be summed up in three areas. Respect: We need to accept the differences between the sexes and not try to change the other sex. Instead, change your own approach. Reframe conflict: Acknowledge the cognitive, cultural and stylistic differences between the sexes. Re-adjust how you talk: Men should increase the details; women should get to the bottom line first.