From: Scott Brim <scott(_dot_)brim(_at_)gmail(_dot_)com>
Sure. I suspect (and I'm braving some individuals' ire here) that most
people mean well most of the time, but they often don't have the knowledge,
skills, or perhaps the ability, to communicate in ways that feel good to
all listeners.
I'm no expert in this field, but I remember an anecdote from someone
who had undergone formal training as a technical support specialist
(someone who handles complaints from customers about software
products). One exercise that the training class underwent ran as
follows:
The students were divided into four groups based on their scores on a
simple Myers-Briggs-type test. Each group was sent to one corner of
the room, where they were to decide upon the way that they would want
to have their complaint handled if they were a customer.
All four groups came to consensus very quickly.
All four groups reported to the whole class on their preferred way to
handle complaints.
The four preferred ways were *completely* different.
The treacherous thing about having good intentions is that other
people may not want to be treated as you want to be treated.
Dale