Think fast, talk smart is a weekly podcast from CNN iReport. This week mat abraham talks with Collins dobbs about how to have the tough conversations we all need in our lives. Mat: Can focusing on other things be more helpful than trying to get your point across? Collins: I think it's very helpful to slow ourselves down and focus on our own awareness of what’s going on for us.
Being a better listener has a lot to do with silence, says Collins Dobbs, a lecturer in management at Stanford Graduate School of Business. “A lot of people are uncomfortable with the smallest modicum of silence, but learning often happens when we create distance for useful reflection.”
In this episode of Think Fast, Talk Smart, Dobbs talks with host Matt Abrahams about the importance of “space, pace, and grace” when you’re receiving others’ feedback and handling the emotions that come out during tough discussions.
“There’s often a lot more focus on the skill set on delivering emotion than receiving emotion, but if the receiver of emotion can put themselves in a place of curiosity, agency, and openness. . . . opens up a whole new world of possibilities.”
Dobbs is an executive coach and teaches several courses, including Interpersonal Dynamics, and Leadership Labs.
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