Conversations

A phrase I heard recently and found useful: I agree with the idea, but I disagree with the tone. Many ideas get dismissed because they are delivered in a cocky or hostile or dismissive tone—or because of who delivers them. Separate substance from style.

The secret to hard conversations? Instead of making it confrontational, make it collaborative. Here's how to flip the script:

So instead of approaching it like "Ted, you're not hitting the click-through rates," you say:

“Hey, Ted, I've noticed that we haven’t met our target clickthrough rate. How can we solve this before the end of the week? Maybe a

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19 Things You Can Say to People in 10 Seconds That Sometimes Produce Insanely Outsized Effects

1. Yeah, someone *should* do that. Why not you?

2. Is there something you could do about that problem in the next five minutes?

3. That's a great thought - have you written it up somewhere? I'd be excited to share it if so.

4. Should you write a blog or

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