Have you ever had someone deliver a difficult message to you, and you could tell they put thought into how, when, and where they would say it? They knew it would be something that would be difficult for you to hear, so they were as careful as possible about the delivery. I find that people on the receiving end of these conversations almost always respond immediately with their gut and make an emotional (and often thoughtless) reaction.
I read some advice that will always stick with me. Instead of responding in the moment, simply say, “I can tell you’ve taken a lot of time to think about how you wanted to share this information with me. I would appreciate it if I could have a little time to think about my response.”
And bam! That’s all you need to say. You’ve given yourself an out to calmly and thoughtfully prepare an appropriate response.
I read some advice that will always stick with me. Instead of responding in the moment, simply say, “I can tell you’ve taken a lot of time to think about how you wanted to share this information with me. I would appreciate it if I could have a little time to think about my response.”
And bam! That’s all you need to say. You’ve given yourself an out to calmly and thoughtfully prepare an appropriate response.