Validate the original point

After you’ve gotten permission, articulate the other person’s point of view. What is the idea, opinion, or proposal that you’re disagreeing with? Stating that clearly, possibly even better than your counterpart did, lays a strong foundation for the discussion.

“You want your counterpart to ...

Get into the other person’s shoes and figure out why their point of view is so important for them.

Conflict is almost inevitable in an argument due to both the parties ‘doubling down’ on their confirmation bias. Instead of going the way of souring your relations, a better approach is to ha...

• Strong self-awareness and self-management would let you control your initial impulses or any anxiety you might have around a hard conversation.
• A highly developed sense of empathy (part of social awareness) would allow you see the situation from the other person’s point of view.