Share with Humility. Share in Chunks.

Connected Communication Practice #6

It’s much easier to lose each other in conversation than to move together, especially when stressed. Sharing in bitesize chunks helps the other person stay on the same page with us. Chris Argyris’ Ladder of Inference tells us to share the facts, then interpretations, then opinions, then decisions and actions and to keep checking in with the other person along the way. How is this landing with you? What do you think? Asking simple questions throughout as opposed to doing a long monologue helps people to walk up the Ladder of Inference with you. And stay humble. Only share your opinion as opinion, not as fact. Stay curious about the other person’s perspective. Curiosity is the energy that brings us together and help discover what didn’t exist, at least not yet in our minds, before we started the conversation.