Sometimes a person’s impulse to resist is so strong he will become insistently assertive. This tactic is a defensive maneuver called “Steamroller.” They roll over you with the force of their personalities. You need a plan to help keep you in control of conversations when this happens. At the first sign of tension, pause, ask their name if you don’t know it. Then use their name in a friendly manner as you make a genial request for courtesy. Stop the Steamroller by putting the discussion on “pause.” Then briefly get permission to continue your point without being interrupted. Be calm and wait for an opening. Do not try to talk over him.
Here are some ways of doing this:
“Mary, is it okay with you if I take a few moments to answer your question before you ask another? I’ll give you a chance to respond when I get done. Will that work?”
“Alex, that’s not a simple issue. I need a moment to explain myself. Is that okay?”
“Ellen, let me respond to your first point. When I’m done, you can bring up another point. Is that all right?”
“Roger, you asked a good question earlier, and it deserves a decent answer that will take a few moments. Are you okay with that?”
No comments:
Post a Comment