I was reading a post from Adam Grant the other day. He said, “What others say doesn’t directly affect your emotions. Between their words and your feelings is your interpretation of their intention. Agency lies in the space between stimulus and response. A sign of emotional intelligence is recognizing your power to change your assumptions.”

Wow! Right? On a daily basis I could tell you all the people who speak to me with a tone or an edge—and that’s including my family. It happens all the time, and I am certainly not the only one this is happening to. It’s the interpretation that matters; it’s the interpretation that determines whether we allow this to escalate or not.

But what Adam didn’t comment on is that even if we can avoid an emotional uprising by using our agency and emotional intelligence, how do we stop these people from spewing hurtful words even if their intention wasn’t to do so? That’s where honest yet tactful communication comes in. You know—difficult conversations. 

Let’s GO! WE GOT THIS!
Beth
Save the date: October 19th, 5-6 pm EST. Difficult Conversations.