How to Use Power Phrases

It was one of those meetings from you know where. Sheila was
on the warpath. Nothing we said was getting through. Every-
thing we said was a threat to her. Everything we said was an
attack on her. This 6'2", 195-pound woman was acting as if
she was the innocent victim of everyone and everything. Noth-
ing helped, until someone said,

Let’s do active listening with Sheila. Let’s allow her to

talk until she feels completely heard.

Sheila liked that idea! She talked and we listened. I don’t recall
her saying anything memorable. I just remember that her
defenses dropped and she became human again. Once we lis-
tened with our undivided attention, it took all of about three

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Listen So They Speak

Freely

PowerPhrases to Get Them to

Open Up

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