5 Ways To Deal With Difficult Family During Thanksgiving According To Communications Expert
PRINCETON, NEW JERSEY, UNITED STATES, November 21, 2023 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Thanksgiving is a day for family gatherings and gratitude, but togetherness often brings tension. So, how do we deal with difficult family at Thanksgiving?
Brian J. Roberts, Principal at Interpersonal.org, served up the following fresh tips for dealing with dinner table dynamics during the Holiday:
"Focus on your family, not your feelings," said Roberts. "Curiosity is an excellent antidote for anger. So, if your family has you flustered, focus your frustration on understanding their views, not inferring values."
"We champion curiosity at Interpersonal.org," said Roberts. "It curtails needless conflict, promotes creative problem-solving, and simplifies fact-finding. It opens the door for opportunity, understanding, surprise, and delight."
Roberts added these other ideas for tempering potential Turkey Day tension:
• "Don't post your toast." Distraction inhibits interaction. So, turn off the phone and get down to the bone. Slow the pace, and embrace the face-to-face.
• "Frame the claim; don't defame the name." Focus on the point, not the person. Be like the mashed potatoes: formless yet substantive, filling but neutral.
• Expectations are like canned cranberry sauce. They mold mood. Bring a fresh outlook to the table. Serve a slice of perspective.
• Exercise empathy. Address ambiguity. Don’t attack or react. Separate emotion from opinion, acknowledge the former, and be open to the latter.
"These interpersonal skills apply to almost all interactions. But people are complex, and situations aren't static. We dive deep into those distinctions at Interpersonal.org."
Interpersonal.org is the authority on interaction. Subscribe now for evidence-based advice on effective communication at: Interpersonal.org
Brian J. Roberts is the principal of Interpersonal.org, a writer whose bylines include The New York Times, Forbes, and Time, a former Chief Communications Officer of a $400M company, and an interviewer whose conversations with household names like 50 Cent and others have reached 6.5 million viewers worldwide.
Brian J. Roberts, Principal at Interpersonal.org, served up the following fresh tips for dealing with dinner table dynamics during the Holiday:
"Focus on your family, not your feelings," said Roberts. "Curiosity is an excellent antidote for anger. So, if your family has you flustered, focus your frustration on understanding their views, not inferring values."
"We champion curiosity at Interpersonal.org," said Roberts. "It curtails needless conflict, promotes creative problem-solving, and simplifies fact-finding. It opens the door for opportunity, understanding, surprise, and delight."
Roberts added these other ideas for tempering potential Turkey Day tension:
• "Don't post your toast." Distraction inhibits interaction. So, turn off the phone and get down to the bone. Slow the pace, and embrace the face-to-face.
• "Frame the claim; don't defame the name." Focus on the point, not the person. Be like the mashed potatoes: formless yet substantive, filling but neutral.
• Expectations are like canned cranberry sauce. They mold mood. Bring a fresh outlook to the table. Serve a slice of perspective.
• Exercise empathy. Address ambiguity. Don’t attack or react. Separate emotion from opinion, acknowledge the former, and be open to the latter.
"These interpersonal skills apply to almost all interactions. But people are complex, and situations aren't static. We dive deep into those distinctions at Interpersonal.org."
Interpersonal.org is the authority on interaction. Subscribe now for evidence-based advice on effective communication at: Interpersonal.org
Brian J. Roberts is the principal of Interpersonal.org, a writer whose bylines include The New York Times, Forbes, and Time, a former Chief Communications Officer of a $400M company, and an interviewer whose conversations with household names like 50 Cent and others have reached 6.5 million viewers worldwide.
Brian Roberts
Interpersonal.org
+1 848-310-4757
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