Public discourse requires making an argument for a point of view, not having an argument - as in having a fight.

Part of the reason images of women in positions of authority are marked by their gender is that the very notion of authority is associated with maleness.

For most women, the language of conversation is primarily a language of rapport: a way of establishing connections and negotiating relationships.

Public discourse requires making an argument for a point of view, not having an argument - as in having a fight.

It's our tendency to approach every problem as if it were a fight between two sides. We see it in headlines that are always using metaphors for war. It's a general atmosphere of animosity and contention that has taken over our public discourse.

Life is a matter of dealing with other people, in little matters and cataclysmic ones, and that means a series of conversations.

The key to conversation at work is flexibility and understanding how what you say might be perceived by others.