Are you a Dog or a Cat?

When I first met my husband, we often clashed about trivial things.  They were mostly about how we communicated – he thought I was too direct and took no time with him, I thought he was to wordy and took too much time.  Communication difficulties are not surprising, especially given gender stereotypes.  In our case, however, we had a reverse situation, his complaints about me:  too direct, rushed, and insensitive – things a woman would likely complain about in her boyfriend.  My complaints about him:  too wordy, takes too much time, and sensitive – things that a man would likely complain about in his girlfriend.  Interestingly, working through our communication difficulties has taught me much about business interactions. Continue reading →