Unlikely Friendships: Identity and Difficult Conversations

Increase the Value of What You Say by Building On

“In a discussion, you may not in fact agree with what the person who just spoke had to say; you may in fact want to move the conversation to new ground. Or, conversely, their viewpoint or story may have struck a chord with you, reminding you of something similar we want to share. Either way, use the approach that will sharply increase your chances of everyone around the table valuing your contribution and listening to you in the way you’d like to be heard. In short, find some way to acknowledge what the previous person said and to connect your words to theirs.” ~Satullo and Sokoloff