"A woman uses about 20,000 words per day while a man uses about 7,000."

This was a statistic widely quoted once upon a time.

Its research was later proved flawed with there being no such difference.

But this stereotype still persists in our workplace.

Women are more likely to be labeled 'Chatterbox' for talking too much or going into 'irrelevant monologues'.

Here are 2 powerful conversational tweaks that I used to dodge this gender bias as a female leader:

→ Think in 'bullet points' rather than 'story mode'

When you have to talk off the top of your mind, make three quick bullets in your notes or your head before talking.

→ Ground yourself with the question at hand.

Example Question: When can your team be ready if we go in Z direction?

🔴 Average Answer: Well, I need to talk to the team first. We need to think about X and then there is Y… and I need to see if Dave is available. And… Julie is on vacation next month… It’s going to be somewhere between 4 and 6 weeks.

🟢 Best Answer: When can our team be ready if we go in Z direction? Let me see… about 6 weeks.

So whether you're a man or a woman...

The point isn’t to start speaking less to avoid scrutiny.

Instead, start focusing on speaking with purpose.

Showing command over your thoughts is the fastest route to building authority. 💛