Start counting your apologies. "Oh I'm sorry, I forgot this page" "Oops, sorry, read the wrong line." "Sorry I bumped into you," when it was the other person's error. This habit of apologizing is one aspect of a feminine style. Generally, men don't apologize nearly this frequently.

When men hear "I'm sorry," it often sounds weak and subservient to them because of their infrequent use of the words. They might think, "Why is she always apologizing, she didn't do anything wrong. (Or maybe she did! Maybe I should watch her more closely for errors.) She must be insecure or she lacks confidence." In reality, most often the apology is merely a habit, a conversational equalizer that's meant by the speaker to maintain harmony and relationship. The apology is not intended as an official mea culpa. But the recipient doesn't necessarily realize that it's just another style difference.

This is one situation where men and women would be better off meeting somewhere in the middle. People with a masculine style (who generally don't apologize enough), would benefit from saying sorry more often. Feminine-style speakers should try to use it less frequently.

The same applies to what I call disclaiming phrases. "Well, this is just my opinion, but..." and "I don't know if this is right, but..." Who wants to hear or give credibility to what comes next? Those phrases dilute the power and confidence of your statements. Men and women using a masculine communication style see this approach as vague, wishy-washy, and less credible.

 After many years in a male-dominated business world, I have learned to state my opinion as fact. First of all, I do my best to know what I'm talking about. Then I make sure I sound confident and knowledgeable, and if I'm wrong, I just say "I'm sorry!" (Just kidding!) Usually I simply correct my statement. I learned that this method, even with making mistakes occasionally, was far more conducive to career enhancement than predicating my opinions with apologetic disclaimers.