Summary Of But What Do You Mean By Deborah Tannen
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Redbook magazine features Deborah Tannen’s, “But What Do You Mean?” from her book Talking from 9 to 5. The excerpt classifies the conversational difficulties men and women have within the workplace. Tannen, a professor at Georgetown University, begins her excerpt explaining how the conversation is not about us, but about the other person and their responses. She believes women have a disadvantage at work and need to be aware of the contrast in transmission between genders.
Tannen’s first form of miscommunication involves apologies. She explains how an apology works to keep both speakers equal when they both share the blame. When one doesn’t apologize, the other person looks completely at fault, leading to an unwanted reaction. The author’s