A principle that Dale Carnegie expresses in his book How to Win Friends and Influence People is, "Show respect for the other person's opinions. Never say, You're Wrong." Telling someone directly that they are wrong doesn't do much for us. What it does is put the other person in a defensive position by threatening … Continue reading Consider Other People’s Opinions Seriously
Tag: Conversations
Tips on Listening
The last few years I have been working on becoming a better listener, and I am still not great at it. Advice from Dale Carnegie's book How to Win Friends and Influence People is helpful for anyone who wants to be a better listener, and has made me a better listener during the times I have … Continue reading Tips on Listening
Will We Lose Conversations?
With the internet social media world we live in, you can always find the perfect niche community for your interests. I love podcasts and like geology and there is a perfect show for me: The Don't Panic Geocast. I enjoy stoicism and thoughts about overcoming obstacles and I can literally find forums on Reddit all … Continue reading Will We Lose Conversations?
Paying Attention to our Conversations
In our general lives, conversation is interesting. What is interesting, however, is often how uninteresting our conversation actually is. When we talk to each other we never really have a full conversation with lots of data, with great background context, or with a lot of acknowledgement of other people's thoughts or experiences. A lot of … Continue reading Paying Attention to our Conversations
The Need Behind Requests
Something interesting in a lot of human communication is how frequently we address something without saying anything explicit about the the thing we are addressing. We talk about one topic but are often implicitly or sneakily also talking about another thing. The front conversation is what we are actually saying and the literal words of … Continue reading The Need Behind Requests
A Great Start to a Coaching Conversation
The Coaching Habit by Michael Bungay Stanier is not just a book with a few good theories about coaching. Bungay Stanier includes a lot of specific words, phrases, and conversation examples to help you see concrete ways to improve your coaching. One example that Bungay Stanier includes is a quick way to get a coaching conversation … Continue reading A Great Start to a Coaching Conversation
Habitual
At the beginning of his book The Coaching Habit, Michael Bungay Stanier says that we could all be better coaches by asking more questions and giving less advice. From those one-on-one meetings, to chatting with a co-worker about a tough relationship situation, and even to dealing with a toddler or teenager, having a habit of … Continue reading Habitual
Negotiations
In his book Political Realism Jonathan Rauch describes the importance of negotiations in politics. The act of negotiating is the act of coalition building, finding support for an idea, position, or program among legislators with varied interests. Negotiation needs to be creative, with all options on the board. Within a negotiation, difficult subjects and ideas are … Continue reading Negotiations