How to Tell Anyone Anything

CHAPTER 14

Troubleshooting the Mechanics

The process outlined in this book is remarkably effective in most situations where you need to engage someone in dialogue. But what about when someone clams up and won't talk, or tries to stab you in the back, or has little or no motivation to negotiate with you?

Most of us try to address situations like these emotionally, but the reality is that even tough roadblocks in communicating with other people can be dealt with procedurally. This chapter discusses some of the most common situations where people often need to “modify the script” of standard strength-based feedback in ways that still help produce effective dialogue in even the most difficult cases, cases such as:

• When someone won't talk to you ...