Women unconsciously use speech habits that undermine their credibility, intelligence, work, ideas, and power. One example is apologizing too often for situations that don't require an apology.
Research tells us women are more likely than men to use self-diminishing qualifiers in their language, but the real kicker is that when men use this type of language, it's "read" differently by the audience and doesn't evoke the same negative stereotypes that it does for women.
Talk about a frustrating double standard!
Apologizing unnecessarily is only one of the ways women consistently undermine themselves in the workplace. It's time to overcome these ingrained speech habits and take back your power. The best part? You can still display warmth and positivity in your communications without using these self-diminishing qualifiers.
