Know Your Neighbor: Audrey Mann Cronin, Communications Consultant, Chappaqua
Three incidents within a little more than a week was too much for Audrey Mann Cronin to tolerate.
Mann Cronin, a communications specialist for more than 25 years, has worked for large corporations’ public relations and marketing departments, and for the last 10 years, she has operated her own Chappaqua-based firm, coaching corporate executives and other professionals to speak effectively.
But last spring she noticed that her 15-year-old daughter was increasingly slipping into the Kim Kardashian- and Zooey Deschanel-inspired pop culture lingo, peppering her sentences with like, um, totally, ya know?
Then one of Mann Cronin’s colleagues told her a story of how two successful, professional women that she is acquainted with were engaging in “uptalk,” the annoying habit of ending a sentence by raising the voice when a question isn’t being asked.
Finally, her doctor, a woman, confided that while her male colleagues appeared more declarative in their daily professional tasks, too many of her female colleagues didn’t speak as confidently despite being equally qualified, engaging in some of these same verbal tics found at high schools everywhere.
“You don’t grow out of it,” said Mann Cronin, who lives in Chappaqua with her husband, Rob, and their daughter and 13-year-old son. “It’s a habit, like anything. You don’t grow out of it.”
She knew she had to get to work to try and bring the latest assault on the ears and the threat of women sabotaging their professional careers to an end. Since earlier this year she has been blogging and speaking out against the ills of pop culture talk, particularly focusing on helping girls and women.
Last Thursday, Mann Cronin hosted a program at the Chappaqua Public Library called “Say It Like You Mean It.” It’s been the tagline on her communications firm since she’s been in business and it’s never been more applicable.
While males are certainly pop culture talk offenders and many could use help honing their skills for job interviews and in their professional life, Mann Cronin said too many women engage in that speech pattern simply to gain acceptance.
“The way we speak is a tribal form of bonding,” Mann Cronin explained. “We kind of share a language because we want to be part of the cool crowd. We want to feel like we’re in it and I think girls are more concerned about that.”
Sometimes people who unwittingly engage in slang or interrupt themselves with the unnecessary words, regardless of age or gender, lack the confidence in what they’re talking about or in themselves, she said.
Mann Cronin understands perfectly well that it takes work to overcome. While growing up in Eastchester, she was a lead singer in a band and also performed in school and local theater, which helped her with her confidence to some extent.
But after graduating Cornell with a communications degree, she found herself in the male-dominated corporate world, working much of her time early in her career with tech companies. That could be intimidating, but over time she learned that failing to speak with self-assurance was worse. As she matured, Mann Cronin was able to temper her speaking with humor.
“We don’t need any more obstacles,” Mann Cronin said. “I don’t think that saying something with conviction really falls into the same pot as being aggressive. It may be perceived that way, but we can speak in a way that’s more self-assured.”
While every culture has had its own slang, she theorized that social media has made it even more prevalent, with its own language of hash tags and acronyms for almost everything. Also, information is so much more accessible and trends catch on as fast as ever.
It also doesn’t mean that there isn’t an appropriate time and place for fun, relaxed talk, Mann Cronin said. Using it while out with friends for an evening can be fine as long as it doesn’t seep into someone’s more serious endeavors.
Mann Cronin said there is help for anybody who wants to change. Being aware of shortcomings in your speech pattern is a good first step. Then practice, practice, practice. Speaking at the library auditorium last week, Mann Cronin said she wasn’t completely comfortable, but speaking more often helps.
“We practice everything. We practice sports and ballet and art lessons, but not speaking and that’s the number one job skill or for any type of leadership position,” she said. “You want to be comfortable.”
For more information, visit http://sayitlikeyoumeanitblog.blogspot.com.
Martin has more than 30 years experience covering local news in Westchester and Putnam counties, including a frequent focus on zoning and planning issues. He has been editor-in-chief of The Examiner since its inception in 2007. Read more from Martin’s editor-author bio here. Read Martin’s archived work here: https://www.theexaminernews.com/author/martin-wilbur2007/
