Try treating ideas with neutrality (Goldsmith)
August 12th, 2008 | Published in Leadership, Life, Psychology, Quotes
Try this: For one week treat every idea that comes your way from another person with complete neutrality. Think of yourself as a human Switzerland. Don’t take sides. Don’t express an opinion. Don’t judge the comment. If you find yourself constitutionally incapable of just saying “Thank you,” make it an innocuous, “Thanks, I hadn’t considered that.” Or, “Thanks. You’ve given me something to think about.”
After one week, I guarantee you will have significantly reduced the number of pointless arguments you engage in at work or at home. If you continue this for several weeks, at least three good things will happen.
First, you don’t have to think about this sort of neutral response; it will become automatic….
Second, you will have dramatically reduced the hours you devote to contentious interfacing. When you don’t judge an idea, no one can argue with you.
Third, people will gradually begin to see you as a much more agreeable person, even when you are not in fact agreeing with them.
—Marshall Goldsmith, What Got You Here Won’t Get You There (2007), pp. 52-53.