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Tip 520: Stop your own monologue answers. |
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Long-winded answers irritate as much as long-winded questions. If you intend to wax on about an issue, seek a group platform where the audience knows you intend to give a speech and grants you the privilege. If your answer runs longer than 30 to 45 seconds, you're no longer in a dialogue; it's a monologue. If you feel you're going on too long and haven't finished what you intended to say, pace yourself by stopping to ask the other person for some reaction to what you've just saiddo they agree, disagree, not care, have different information? Then, after you listen to their comments, deliver your next point on the earlier answer. |
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Tip 521: Assume the "Dumb" question has a connection you don't yet understand. |
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Assume what sounds like a dumb question has a connection that you don't yet understand and ask for clarification. If you brush it aside and then have someone point out to you the relevance of the question to the issue, you'll look foolish yourself. If the question seems "out in left field," irrelevant, or plain dumb, clarify: "I'm sorry, but I don't quite understand how X relates to Y. Would you explain the connection?" "I'm confused. What prompts the question?" "We missed the point, I guess. We are discussing Y, and I don't understand why Z would be an issue." |
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If the person clarifies and the question is pertinent, you've saved yourself some embarrassment. If the person concedes that the question is off base, you've saved yourself some time. If the question is in fact dumb, answer it briefly if you can and circle back to the main issue without embarrassing the asker. |
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Tip 522: Unload "Loaded" questions. |
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Identify the hot wordsthose with negative connotationsand restate the question before answering it. Or, if you don't choose to repeat the question, respond to the question minus the negative words. |
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Example: "Why is management being so stubborn about lifting the ban?" |
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Answer: "Are you asking why management has not set a definite deadline for lifting the ban? I think partly we're concerned that . . ." |
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Example: "Are you saying that we're too stupid to make that decision ourselves without going to a supervisor for approval?" |
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