Historically, women have been socialized toward virtue and acceptance, and men have been socialized toward power and competence. M. Brewster Smith contends that opportunity, respect from others, and power must be present in order for one to cultivate a sense of competence. To be successful, the competent woman must combine skills, talents, and a variety of personal qualities that will enable her to work in her social environment and to achieve recognition and position. The prime vehicle by which one establishes competence and achieves success is a communicative process, verbal and nonverbal. There are specific communication characteristics and behaviors that seem to separate men and women. By cuing in on these differences and being aware of them, women will be better able to enhance their communication effectiveness regardless of whether they must withdraw, tolerate, educate, or overpower in a given communication situation. Another strategy for women is to request clarification when the content of a message and the way it was spoken do not coincide. A final strategy, called "reframing," is neither easily nor commonly used, but necessitates that a person "break out" of the presumed mental set or framework that others have imposed on him or her and assume that he or she accepts. Ultimately, to maximize communication prowess, both men and women must increase self-awareness and awareness of others, be as confirming and nonsubmissive as possible, and think about the relationship between their objectives and the appropriate communication strategies. (HTH)