Ahead of his seminar on February 26 at Ductac, the writer and therapist Dr John Gray will be the guest of honour at a charity dinner being held at Meydan this evening. If you’re looking for greater professional recognition, a promotion or merely to improve your overall efficacy, then Gray promises to reveal all – with his tailored approaches for both men and women.
Charity comes first
Gray will be the keynote speaker at a fundraiser event being held in association with the Rotary Club of Jumeirah tonight. All proceeds will go towards helping Senses Residential and Day Care for Children with Special Needs, a non-profit organisation dedicated to empowering youngsters in the UAE.
Guests will be treated to Gray’s top tips on communication and conflict resolution, revealed in his sales-smashing relationship manual, Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus, published in 1992. If you’re not familiar with the book, a good place to get acquainted with Gray’s philosophy is the counsellor’s website, where you can watch his live daily broadcasts on www.marsvenus.com.
Many shades of Gray
Although he’s best known for his first self-help page-turner, Gray has published prolifically in the past 20 years since its release. Other titles include What You Feel You Can Heal, Children Are from Heaven and How to Get What You Want and Want What You Have.
Those attending Gray’s talk in Dubai’s Mall of the Emirates will hear the author revisit another one of his popular book themes, that of best-practice business interactions.
"Men Are from Mars and Women Are from Venus can be applied to the workplace," he says. "In May of this year, I'm coming out with a later version of Mars and Venus in the Workplace – a book entitled Work With Me. And in my Dubai workshop, I'll explore basic insights that help people in the business world become more successful."
Perfect the patter
Gray will teach attendees the rudiments of trust-building and excellent communication next Tuesday; equally essential for those in relationships, he says, and people holding sales positions.
“Even though we think we are speaking the same language, quite often what we say as men and women has different meanings,” says Gray. “For example, I can teach men how to make comments and listen in a certain way, so that a woman can feel she is being heard. Because only then will she trust the man can provide the ‘support’ she is looking for.”
Credit where it’s due
Gray expects to field questions from ambitious business types on work-related topics from gender competitiveness to glory-seeking. It all comes down to manners, he says, with both genders having unspoken rules of fairness and engagement. Not least, he notes, when it comes to brainstorming and coming up with “bright ideas”.
“With Venus, it’s often a case of them not wanting to build themselves up; they want to make sure that everyone gets acknowledged and appreciated,” he says. “Whereas men might fear losing recognition if they give credit to another team member – who could take it, and not acknowledge them back.”
On another level
Not to be missed will be Gray’s examination of hormones and their influence upon private and public relationships, a topic explored in his last publication Venus on Fire, Mars on Ice.
“Men lower stress through building up testosterone,” he says, “whereas women lower stress by building up oxytocin.” To round off the workshop, the author will also hone in on “point-scoring”, its prevalence in the workplace and how, once again, it brings trust and communication issues to the fore.
• For more information about tonight’s dinner go to www.rotaractjumeirah.org
• John Gray’s seminar is on February 26 at Ductac in Dubai’s Mall of the Emirates. Tickets start from Dh645 per person. For details, visit www.rightselection.com
