People are weird and do weird stuff, don’t they. I mean, you would never do that kind of stuff so surely there must be something strange or wrong with them?


> What’s the rest of their story? What’s missing from the small part of the picture you can see?

> What would have to be true, about them or their backstory, for a reasonable person to behave like they do?

Think of someone who, from your view of the world, does things very differently to you, and ask yourself the above questions.

You might still think that what they do is weird, but maybe you will be a bit more open-minded and tolerant of their ‘weirdness’.

It’s particularly important to achieve this more open state of mind before going into a conversation about someone’s behaviour and we think it will be a difficult conversation.

Here are some other tips on how to prepare for a difficult conversation.

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My best wishes, Paul

Author of bestsellers “Capability at Work: How to Solve the Performance Puzzle
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