>During the first couple of minutes of one woman's talk, she was asked 3
>separate times to speak up. She would perhaps raise her voice for about 3
>words and then go back to her soft-spoken presentation that no one could
>hear. Quite a few in audience got fed up and used this time to excuse
>themselves from the hall for a break.
>>So my suggestion to women (and men, who can also be soft-spoken) for
>presentations is to make sure you raise your voice loud enough to be
>heard. You can't get your message out if no one can hear you.
>>I was left wondering if this inability (or unwillingness) of some women to
>talk loud enough was physiological or sociological--maybe some women have
>been socialized to not talk too loud because it is not ladylike?.
>>I agree with what Megan is saying. This also holds true for job seminars.
At one time we were interviewing for an Asst. Prof. in our department. The
job seminar was given in a large lecture hall. The candidates were given an
opportunity to use a microphone although those of us who taught in this room
found it to be unnecessary. We had one very soft spoken female candidate
who refused to use the microphone and could not be heard more than two or
three rows back. Two of the rather hard of hearing older faculty quit
paying attention to her talk almost immediately and, she really had the most
interesting talk of all the candidates. Her refusal to make herself heard
probably cost her the job (nobody got the position). One-on-one she seemed
to speak louder than at the seminar.
You definitely need to get your story out.
Cyndy
Dr. Cynthia M. Galloway
Assoc. Professor of Biology
Dept. of Biology
Campus Box 158
Texas A&M University
Kingsville, TX 78363
(512)593-3790
