One of my consulting clients has a company thats purpose is to help lower the divorce rate in America. One of their big goals is to teach people how to understand each other. Here is a short excerpts of one of their videos explaining the difference between the way men and women think.
Obviously this is a generalization, but it is a useful reference point for planning discussions with people of the opposite sex–not just your spouse. For example, if you are a woman trying to negotiate a business agreement with a man you should be aware that he is less likely to see the holistic benefits of the arrangement. He is more likely to view the deal in isolation instead of seeing the advantages (which will be much more obvious to you) of all the side effects that might be beneficial for both of your companies.
If you are a man trying to sell a business arrangement to a woman, you will have an easier time if you can push the side benefits and focus on how the deal with help both of your companies holistically.
A small amount of thought along the lines of “how will the other person perceive what I’m saying” can go a long ways toward creating successful mutually beneficial agreements–both in your personal and business life.
You know.. If I learned anything it is the value of a “nothing” box. I don’t think I have thought of it much, but it is worth trying to just think of nothing for a while, let it all wind down for a few minutes and come away clear headed.
Funny, but not sure how useful it is, it isn’t include anything about how to use the knowledge presented.