905 – Bridging the Confidence Gap: How to Succeed at Upfront Communication

Topic Track: Marketing/Communications

Location: Grand Hall K, East Tower, Gold/Ballroom Level

Time: 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

Speaker(s): Tiffany Olson, Communication Coach, Workshops That Work

In her book titled Playing Big, author Tara Mohr describes the problem of the “confidence gap” this way: “Most women I know feel great pressure...to say what they really want to say

while also...being nice, ever flexible, ever calm.” We've probably all been there—frustrated by a thousand thoughts that prevent us from speaking up confidently when we need to. You can witness this as women hedge their ideas, disclaim their opinions, or engage in upspeak, all in an effort to avoid appearing overbearing or confrontational.

That’s not to say there aren’t confident women out there who are excelling when it comes to communication, nor does it imply there aren’t men who struggle with confidence and speaking up. In Bridging the Confidence Gap, Communication Coach Tiffany Olson will not only explore how to bridge the confidence gap between men and women but also provide encouraging steps and takeaways for anyone, regardless of gender, to become a more effective upfront communicator and gain more confidence.

Learning Objectives:

• Identify confidence gaps successfully.
• Understand why confidence gaps exist.
• Learn the necessary steps to communicate more confidently.