You Were Right, but It Didn’t Matter

It is not very often that I am compelled to pass on information that is not of a technical nature. As most of you are aware, techie-stuff is just more fun from my perspective. But on occasion there is an article that comes across my email that I not only enjoy and learn from, but have the desire to share with the masses. It is my small contribution that perhaps we can all learn something and better ourselves in some way. People skills, just like computer skills, get better with practice.

I’ve provided a link to the article with the synopsis here. Just the title of this article alone was enough to grab my attention, “You Were Right, but it Didn’t Matter: 12 Ideas for Arguing your point effectively“. Enjoy.

1. Realize that a dialogue should not be about you, the opponent, the turf, or the superiority but about making the right decision. Accept the fact that you just might be wrong and treat the opposition with respect.
2. There are two parts to every argument: A position and a bunch of points that support it. Always separate them and be clear on them both. “I support solution A. The reasons for my recommendation are as follows.” On the flip side, learn to identify and separate these two parts in your opponent’s argument. If you can’t do so reliably, ask for clarification.
3. Never accept an argument that you don’t understand. Ask for clarification.

Read the full article here.