For Immediate Release
Contact:
Tracey Weigel (414) 302-9801; toll free (866) 893-4435
United Communication Experts Owner is Linguist; Specialty is Enhanced Workplace and Sales Productivity through Language Awareness and Refinement
Milwaukee, WI — Tracey Weigel of United Communication Experts (UCE) successfully launched her communications consulting business in 2003. Weigel, a former UWM linguistics lecturer, established UCE to transfer her communication and linguistic expertise from the classroom to the dynamics of the workplace. Weigel said, “My specialty isn’t PR or marketing; it’s refining and improving interpersonal communication by removing gender, class, and cultural biases from speech. I think my business provides a unique service in southeastern Wisconsin.”
Weigel’s consulting work addresses language, how language is shaped and impacted by gender, ethnicity/culture and social status, and how these factors cause people to misunderstand one another. Communication failure between coworkers, she says, is often attributable to the gaps created between someone’s words/speech — intended meaning — and the misapprehension of those words by the recipient. People speak and comprehend language individually, based on how their language was shaped by their gender, their ethnic origins, and their social status. Weigel created UCE to address businesses’ desire to improve productivity, morale, and safety (in healthcare and classroom environs).
Weigel’s clients include those who seek her advice about improving communication between their male and female staff. Genderlects, dialect differences based on gender, are explored with educators, healthcare providers, business-owners and human resources personnel. Weigel discusses the interactive relationship between gender, language, thought and culture, and how gender-based communication creates and perpetuates stereotypes, and inappropriate or ineffective communication. Weigel also teaches conflict management and resolution, through understanding genderlects. She says, “Disputes are frequently directly influenced by the participants’ gender and how each interprets the other, as are responses to this conflict. Perception of status plays a part and status perception can be gender-based. Responses to this kind of conflict vary among men and women. The silent treatment is almost always a female technique when responding to conflict, and rarely an effective one. Women frequently apologize for things that aren’t their fault, while most men never do that. And because males’ and females’ brains process language differently, each translates differently what is said to what each thinks is meant. This can make for a very conflicted work environment.”
Weigel’s consultation also includes information about dialects that are based on ethnicity, class, and age (generation-based dialect). Weigel explains, “Despite the best attempts to standardize our language, each of us speaks a dialect. Dialect dramatically affects how coworkers and customers or clients perceive a speaker. For example, there are linguistic (dialect) variations between Boomers, and members of Gen X and Y and these differences can create confusion or an unintended perception of disrespect.”
Another aspect of Weigel’s expertise is non-verbal communication, whether it’s non-oral communication like email or non-verbal communication like body language. Proxemics, the role physical distance and placement plays between speakers, is a fascinating aspect of her consulting work, and important when staging conference room meetings, seminars, and or communication venues in the classroom or healthcare environment. “I teach my clients about the four conversational distances that characterize our communication, and how violating them can cost the speaker a sale or promotion,” Weigel says. “I also teach about using good eye contact and avoiding overdoing it. For my clients who conduct commerce in the international marketplace, I show them how aspects of American body language lead to misunderstanding with people from other cultures.”
“I derive great satisfaction from improving people’s work and lives by teaching them how to speak and listen more intelligently, more effectively,” Weigel says. In addition to her direct consultation services she leads customized seminars, and is a keynote speaker.
Weigel hold a master’s degree in Foreign Languages and Linguistics and a bachelor’s degree in Adult Education and Educational Studies.
For more details about the depth and breadth of her consulting services visit http://UnitedCommunicationExperts.com/keynotes.htm
