CREW DC: News-Program Summary

PROGRAM SUMMARY

April Program:
Deborah Tannen, On Gender Communication in the Workplace

Renowned linguist Deborah Tannen was highly anticipated by CREW members and guests back in January when she was originally scheduled to speak. Unforeseeable schedule conflicts necessitated a postponement of that event. As such, many DC real estate professionals were doubly delighted to see that Dr. Tannen would speak in April, presenting on some of the research and conclusions from her bestseller Talking 9 to 5: Women and Men at Work.

Dr. Tannen began by demonstrating that a marked difference in communication styles can be observed between all-male or all-female groups from a very young age. Boys often challenge one another through language, vying for hierarchical social position through command of language and imagination, even when the “stakes” are not grounded in reality. Girls tend to relate through closeness and emphasize sameness rather than contention.

These tendencies evidence later in life as professionals, Dr. Tannen observed. Women in positions of authority often downplay their elevated status when giving instruction, feeling that a created sameness assists teamwork and productivity. Men ritually trade mock insults on another's person or idea, feeling that the challenge helps a person to think better and also maintains friendly rapport. Furthermore, women are more likely to ask questions for information. Men view public information-seeking as a weakness to be avoided, as it puts oneself in a “one-down” position to the information provider. Dr. Tannen remained objective throughout her presentation, never offering prescriptive advice on how to communicate “better”. No one linguistic style was presented as better or more effective.

Dr. Tannen was repeatedly emphasized that just like any cultural linguistic difference, there are men and women who do not fit the commonalities observed here. In some cases, persons who speak using characteristics of the opposite gender do stand out to coworkers. For example, a woman may appear “bossy” if she uses directives commonly associated with men, or a man may be perceived as tentative if he solicits the opinions of the group. These notations mark just a few of the fascinating conclusions that Dr. Tannen recounted. For those interested in learning more, read Talking 9 to 5: Women and Men at Work.

EVENT SUMMARIES

CREW DC Clothing Drive Benefitted "Suited for Change"

CREW DC kicked off summer in style by holding a clothing drive to benefit "Suited for Change" in conjunction with the June meeting at the Capital Hilton. "Suited for Change" is a Washington DC based non-profit that provides professional clothing and ongoing career education to low-income women who have completed job training and/or job readiness programs and are currently seeking employment. Donations from the event filled the Jeep Cherokee of CREW DC member Stephanie Hixson of Jones Lang LaSalle to almost overflowing as she and co-worker Whitney Sanger collected donations both at the Capital Hilton and at the internal clothing drive Jones Lang LaSalle held in conjunction with the CREW event. After dropping off the clothes, Stephanie and Whitney were treated to a tour of the Suited for Change store by Office Administrator Joyce Thomas.

CREW DC member Phyllis Fordham of Tiny Jewel Box serves as Secretary on the Board of Directors at "Suited for Change" and worked closely with Susan Strom of Nelson Architects, who leads CREW's community action committee to organize the clothing drive. Another influential member of the "Suited for Change" Advisory Council, Kathleen Matthews, award-winning journalist and guest speaker at the CREW 25th Anniversary Gala, was instrumental in raising awareness of the synergies between the two organizations, sparking the idea for the drive. Based on the success of this event, this may become an annual tradition!

Site Tour of Waterview

Thirty members of CREW DC gathered at the Waterview complex in Rosslyn, Virginia on May 11, 2007, to hear Kathleen Webb of JBG describe the project and lead a hard-hat tour of the site.

The Waterview complex is comprised of a 633,908 square foot trophy office building, the upscale Hotel Palomar, a luxury, boutique hotel featuring 154 rooms and a high-end restaurant and luxury condominiums on 17 floors above the hotel ranging from $400,000 to over $5 million.

	Waterview's iconic presence on the banks of the Potomac offers the most spectacular views of downtown Washington, the monuments, the Potomac River, Georgetown and the National Cathedral. This complex is one of the first of a number of commercial and residential projects which will transform the Rosslyn market.
With these projects the streetscape and tenant mix will vastly improve as premier tenants choose to relocate their operations to Rosslyn. The population will also soar as residents make Rosslyn their home. The reality of Waterview's delivery and occupancy allows future tenants and residents in Rosslyn to see and walk into this new vision for Rosslyn.

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