From the course: Communication Foundations

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When you are criticized or caught off guard

When you are criticized or caught off guard

From the course: Communication Foundations

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When you are criticized or caught off guard

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- The professionals we surveyed for this course told us that one of the most challenging communication situations is being bombarded with questions, demands, or criticism that they weren't expecting. Have you ever been caught so off guard that you didn't know what to say or regretted what you said? These tips will help. First, buy time before responding. The trick to avoiding a verbal blunder or overcommitting yourself is to build a delay between something popping into your head and popping out of your mouth. Take a sip of water. Say something like, "This is catching me off guard. "Give me until tomorrow to think about it." If you must respond on the spot, say things like, "Tell me more about that," or, "Help me understand your thinking." While your conversational partner is responding, you can take a moment to regulate your emotions. My face reads like an open book, but in some contexts it's better not to…

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