A new study of 1,300 people by Crucial Learning, a learning company with courses in communication, performance, and leadership, found that 9 out of 10 people have felt emotionally or physically unsafe to speak their mind more than once in the past 18 months. Having identified subjects who faced similar communication challenges, but generated more confidence and less fear, the study asked them to cite skills that help people speak up with poise and integrity. Top skills included:
- Make it safe by reassuring respect and pointing out shared values.
- Get curious.
- Start with facts, not judgments or opinions.
- Don’t focus on convincing.
- Be skeptical of your point of view.
- Own your right to have your opinion.
