Women qualify everything they say. They appear hesitant. They don't speak up, especially at meetings. They try to empathize with everyone. They can't take a joke. They aren't critical enough. They are indirect in giving opinions or giving orders. They don't know how to take credit for their own work. They take things too personally.
These are some of the communication stereotypes principal investigators relate when interviewed about lab management. But despite supporting evidence, many scientists still doubt that differences in male and female communication merit serious consideration. Labs are generally accommodating places, with people of many cultures working productively and cooperatively together, and the burden of gender differences seems insignificant. If more scientists realized that communication habits are not related to intelligence or ability, they could better understand the conflicts that do arise.
The commonplace presence of women in the laboratory and the occasional inclusion of women in management ...
