ABSTRACT
Women in particular need to develop assertiveness skills. Women tend to operate through guile, passive-aggressive wheedling and manipulation instead of communicating cleanly and honestly. Women need to learn to develop their egos: to be prouder of themselves and their success. There are differences in the way men and women vie for power, for status and connection in their communication styles. Women in health and social care therefore need to grow into the skills demanded of them, develop their confidence, and become more assertive. Success at work is usually associated with the male traits of aggression, emotional stability and rationality. There is a penalty for women behaving counter to stereotypical expectations, at a cost to success.
