Here are four ways to ensure you keep them productive and not explosive.
He suggests two techniques,called leveling and editing, to refine your ideas more carefully.
The person you’re trying to communicate with might know you well, but they’re not psychic.
Leveling simply means sharing your perspective.
It helps add context and brings the both of you to common ground.
Not everything that comes to your mind should come out of your mouth.
The idea is that no one can write six pages about something without carefully thinking it through.
Now, you might not be able to apply this technique to absolutely every situation.
Validate the Other Person’s Thoughts
Expressing yourself is only part of the equation.
Constructive conversations are two way streets.
As such, you’re gonna wanna listen carefully towhat the other person is saying.
Similarly, when you’re speaking, consider your perspective in contrast with theirs.
If it’s extremely far out, moderate your point to make it more understandable.
Here arefour common mistakes you and your fellow conversationalistsmight make.
There are many techniques to slow down a conversation.
Continue where you left.
With the same energy.
After a couple of minutes, this
always
helps to end the discussion.
Thanks to this method, we have learned a lot about ourselves and each other.
And saved countless moments of angry body language and words bouncing between the walls of our home.
There is an art to conversations.
It’s important to slow down so you’re free to add context and properly frame your thoughts.
Write your ideas out so that you’ll have thought them through more clearly before talking about them.
Listen carefully and validate other people’s thoughts.
Avoid criticism, contempt, defensiveness, and stonewalling.
When a conversation is becoming nasty and unconstructive, suggest returning to the original topic.
Illustration by Tina Mailhot-Roberge.
Photo byFrancisco Osorio,Erin Kohlenberg, andPedro Ribeiro Simoes.
