How often have you smiled thinly at an unsavoury joke, withheld a critical opinion, or kept silent instead of pointing out a colleague’s mistake? Many of us use politeness to smooth over tricky interactions with others. We forget that it destroys openness and trust: the foundations of good relationships.
Are you polite or are you honest? Rate the items below as True or False. 1. When someone says something I strongly disagree with, I tend to keep my opinion to myself rather than argue. 2. I would rather put up with poor performance from an employee than confront the person with negative feedback. 3. I would rather say “Yes” to a request than turn it down and be thought unhelpful. 4. In awkward or stressful situations, I tend to hold back rather than give my full and candid opinion. 5. I sometimes don’t get my point across, even when I feel strongly about an issue. 6. Rather than tell someone exactly how I feel, I sometimes make a joke or use sarcasm to let them know I’m frustrated. 7. I would be reluctant to confront a colleague whose behaviour I found offensive. 8. If I’m having a problem with a person I tend to avoid them rather than confront the issue. If you rate five or more items as True, you are likely to be compromising your relationships by not communicating openly on how you feel or what you think. If you would like to receive Straight Talk tips on a monthly basis, email us!
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