Communication Gaps and How to Close Them

7. Understanding the Other Party’s Perspective

I cringe when I see books and classes with titles like Dealing with Difficult Customers or How to Cope with Difficult People. The premise of these offerings, at least judging from the titles, is that it’s the person who is difficult, not the situation the person is in. These titles suggest that the people deemed difficult are unjustified in their behavior and that those with whom they interact are in no way part of the problem.

The fact is that most people want to get along. They want to do their job and to be acknowledged and treated with respect. They want to meet their goals and to be seen as successful by those who control the direction of their career path. They want to go about their daily ...