Forget Foot In Mouth, I Have Punch In Mouth …

A while back, someone sent me the image above with the words, “you’re in a cartoon”.
While they didn’t specify which of the 2 characters they were referring was me, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to work out which.
I have an incredible knack of saying things that come out the wrong way.
Or can be interpreted as coming out the wrong way.
But believe it or not, I never intentionally do that.
OK, I 96.3% of the time never intentionally do that.
I swear it’s because of my Dad …
He had an incredible array of techniques, questions and words to put people either on the back-foot or to get them to reveal their true agenda … so I think I got it off him.
Of course, he was a brilliant prosecutor and I’m an OK advertising planner … so what he did was not only part of his job, but something he was revered for how he did it, whereas mine is, errrrrm … not any of that.
That said, some of his techniques are things I have used for years.
For example, when someone say’s something I disagree with – rather than just say “can you help me understand what you’re actually trying to say” [which I also occasionally do, hence the cartoon], I simply repeat whatever they’ve said to me, but in a slow voice and an intonation at the end that makes it sound like a question.
You’d be amazed how often this makes the other person back down or rephrase what they said in much more palatable way.
And while I am still learning at how to be a better person, the one thing I can honestly say is that at least I’m asking questions to learn and understand rather than just make corporate small-talk.
God I hate that stuff.
The attempt to bond over mutual superficial bullshit.
It’s not schmoozing … at least there’s a purpose for that, it’s pandering.
And while this could easily be read as an excuse, that sort of shit is – for me – far more insulting than anything I may accidentally or unintentionally aggressively say.
Filed under: A Bit Of Inspiration, Attitude & Aptitude, Colleagues, Comment, Content, Context, Dad, Planners Making A Complete Tit Of Themselves And Bless
A while back, someone sent me the image above with the words, “you’re in a cartoon”.
While they didn’t specify which of the 2 characters they were referring was me, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to work out which.
I have an incredible knack of saying things that come out the wrong way.
Or can be interpreted as coming out the wrong way.
But believe it or not, I never intentionally do that.
OK, I 96.3% of the time never intentionally do that.
I swear it’s because of my Dad …
He had an incredible array of techniques, questions and words to put people either on the back-foot or to get them to reveal their true agenda … so I think I got it off him.
Of course, he was a brilliant prosecutor and I’m an OK advertising planner … so what he did was not only part of his job, but something he was revered for how he did it, whereas mine is, errrrrm … not any of that.
That said, some of his techniques are things I have used for years.
For example, when someone say’s something I disagree with – rather than just say “can you help me understand what you’re actually trying to say” [which I also occasionally do, hence the cartoon], I simply repeat whatever they’ve said to me, but in a slow voice and an intonation at the end that makes it sound like a question.
You’d be amazed how often this makes the other person back down or rephrase what they said in much more palatable way.
And while I am still learning at how to be a better person, the one thing I can honestly say is that at least I’m asking questions to learn and understand rather than just make corporate small-talk.
God I hate that stuff.
The attempt to bond over mutual superficial bullshit.
It’s not schmoozing … at least there’s a purpose for that, it’s pandering.
And while this could easily be read as an excuse, that sort of shit is – for me – far more insulting than anything I may accidentally or unintentionally aggressively say.
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