Dealing with Relatives
Updated: 11/02/2011 12:30 pm | Published: 11/02/2011 12:28 pm
How to deal with unruly relativesBy Joseph Grenny, co-author of Crucial Conversations
- Work on me first. How you see your relatives determines how you treat them. To help soften judgments, ask yourself, “Why would a reasonable, rational and decent person do what they’re doing?”
- Make it safe. When confronting bad behavior, first help the other person know you care about his or her interests.
- Just the facts. Start with the facts and strip out accusatory, judgmental and inflammatory language.
- Tentatively share concerns. Having laid out the facts, tell your relative why you’re concerned, but don’t do it as an accusation—share it as an opinion.
- Invite dialogue. After sharing your concerns, encourage the other person to share his—even if he disagrees with you. One of the best ways to persuade others is to listen to them.
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