{"id":91962,"date":"2023-02-08T15:14:00","date_gmt":"2023-02-08T19:14:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/?p=91962"},"modified":"2023-02-10T10:50:53","modified_gmt":"2023-02-10T14:50:53","slug":"problem-solving-in-communication","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/problem-solving-in-communication\/","title":{"rendered":"Problem-Solving in Communication: 3 Skills to Master"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

How does problem-solving in communication work? What skills do you need for conversational problem-solving?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to leadership expert Michael Bungay Stanier, <\/strong>problem-solving in communication is all about adopting a questions-first approach, which results in more productive solutions. By learning to think like a coach, you can let your curiosity lead the way when faced with a problem, says Stanier.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Read on to learn Stanier’s three essential skills for problem-solving in communication. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Problem-Solving & Communication Skills<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In The Advice Trap<\/em>, author Michael Bungay Stanier claims that the best leaders don’t offer advice when faced with a problem\u2014instead, they adopt a questions-first approach, which fosters a more confident, effective, and growth-driven team. Problem-solving in communication should be driven by curiosity, argues Stanier. He says the key to this approach is learning to think like a coach<\/strong>, which requires you to shift your focus away from yourself and onto others. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

To be a good coach, you should focus on developing three skills:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

  1. Being supportive <\/li>
  2. Asking questions<\/li>
  3. Focusing on the main challenge<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    In this article, we’ll explain Stanier’s methods for problem-solving in communication by developing or improving on these three skills. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    #1: Being Supportive<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    If you’re trying to solve a problem, Stanier writes that communication can only be productive if the people involved feel safe. He offers four suggestions to make people less defensive:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    1) Be on their team<\/strong>\u2014be with them, not against them. Validate their feelings with encouraging words and body language<\/a> such as: \u201cThat\u2019s a very smart point,\u201d or a simple, \u201cGreat thought!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    2) Be communicative<\/strong>\u2014talk about what\u2019s next in your conversation so that people know what to expect. <\/strong>Transition between topics so that people can follow comfortably.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    3) Help them feel important<\/strong>\u2014ask, praise, and affirm their opinions. Lower your authority so that communication can be open and effective. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    4) Help them make choices<\/strong>\u2014ask them for their thoughts so they can help direct the conversation. Instead of giving advice, ask: \u201cWhat options are you considering?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Conversational Intelligence: Cultivating Good Conversations With Trust<\/strong>

    In many ways, Stanier\u2019s suggestions on reducing defensive instincts in conversations relate to what Judith Glaser defines as \u201cconversational intelligence.\u201d Glaser agrees that trust is a fundamental cornerstone of high-quality conversations<\/a>. In Conversational Intelligence<\/em><\/a>, she explains that our brains react differently to people we trust versus people we distrust. When someone trusts you, their brain produces positive hormones that improve the desire to collaborate and connect. On the other hand, distrust results in the production of stress hormones, which may make people more defensive and reluctant to talk to you.
     
    By adopting Stanier\u2019s four recommendations when communicating, you can break down these walls of distrust and ensure that your conversations reach their fullest potential.<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    #2: Asking Questions<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    Stanier identifies being curious as a coach\u2019s defining trait<\/strong>\u2014to pause, take a back seat, and ask questions, as opposed to jumping to give advice. Once you help others lower their defenses, you can have an open and productive discussion led by questions instead of commands. Asking questions helps you remain focused and your team members feel supported. Stanier offers several communication tips on how to effectively ask questions to solve problems:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Tip #1: Just start asking.<\/strong> Don’t waste time introducing or justifying your question, just ask the question to get the conversation started. However, only ask one at a time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    (Shortform note: Experts agree with Stanier\u2019s recommendation of asking a single question at a time, reasoning that asking too many questions at once can make a conversation feel like an interrogation.<\/a> Even if you\u2019re just trying to understand the situation, firing off multiple questions before waiting for an answer can overwhelm the other person, preventing them from giving deep and thoughtful answers.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Tip #2: Ask \u201cWhat\u201d questions.<\/strong> Asking questions like \u201cWhat methods have you used?\u201d sound more open and non-accusatory compared to \u201cwhy\u201d questions that might put people on the defensive like \u201cWhy did you do it like that?\u201d Avoid rhetorical questions like \u201cHave you thought about\u2014,\u201d which are only advice in disguise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    (Shortform note: Like Stanier, many experts support asking open-ended questions to foster successful conversations<\/a>. They explain that asking closed questions like, \u201cDid you try this solution here?\u201d limits the flow of a conversation more than, \u201cWhat solutions have you tried so far?\u201d The former question prompts for a one-word answer\u2014\u201cyes\u201d or \u201cno,\u201d whereas the latter allows the responder to provide more context and information that they may feel is important to express.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Tip #3:<\/strong> Embrace silences.<\/strong> Don\u2019t try to fill every break in the conversation. If you pause and actively listen to their answers, you can understand the situation better.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    (Shortform note: In Radical Candor<\/em><\/a>, Kim Scott makes a distinction between quiet listening<\/a><\/em> and loud listening<\/em>, arguing that a good leader adjusts their listening style according to the needs of their team<\/a>. Stanier\u2019s tip mostly highlights silent listening, which involves deliberately inserting silence during a conversation to give room for people to think and express themselves. However, Scott argues that certain situations can benefit from loud listening, which involves directly stating something to elicit a response. This method can help prevent people from wasting time guessing what you\u2019re thinking.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Tip #4:<\/strong> Validate their answers.<\/strong> Help others feel heard and understood with phrases like \u201cThat makes sense,\u201d or \u201cI see how that can feel frustrating.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    (Shortform note: Therapists define validation as recognizing and understanding another person\u2019s feelings regardless of your personal opinions. Studies have shown that in situations where someone is experiencing negative emotions such as frustration or anger, providing validating comments can help promote flexible thinking, curiosity, and a more positive outlook on the situation<\/a>. Therefore, validating another person\u2019s answers to your questions helps your conversation continue in an open and productive manner.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    #3: Focusing on the Main Challenge<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    Stanier writes that when we jump in with advice, we often end up brainstorming<\/a> solutions to unimportant or secondary issues. He advises that you instead take time to properly identify the true issue at the core<\/a> of the problem. He notes that this can be challenging, and he outlines several obstacles you might run into during a conversation that can make it hard to determine the real issue at hand or that might tempt you into avoiding hard conversations. These obstacles can be grouped into two categories, and you can use the questions above to move past them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Obstacle 1: Unfocused Start<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

    Stanier notes that the first thing a person identifies as the source of their problem is rarely the true heart of the problem.<\/strong> A person might blame someone who isn\u2019t present (for example, by saying, \u201cThis person hasn\u2019t responded to my email\u201d) or might be vague about their struggles (such as by saying, \u201cThis email is taking a while\u201d instead of \u201cI\u2019m struggling with how to word this email\u201d). When this happens, your communication should focus on asking questions to get to and solve the underlying problem. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    To handle an unfocused start, you can:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    1. Acknowledge that you\u2019re off-topic<\/strong>\u2014\u201cI\u2019m not entirely sure, but I don\u2019t think we\u2019ve gotten to the real issue yet.”<\/li>
    2. Focus the conversation on <\/strong>them<\/em><\/strong>\u2014 \u201cLet\u2019s focus on what we have in front of us. What\u2019s the main obstacle that you\u2019re<\/em> facing?\u201d<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n

      Obstacle 2: Information Overload<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

      When someone starts listing too many problems at once\u2014such as factoring their financial struggles and long commute into their work problems\u2014or launching into detailed gossip, your communication loses focus and the problem becomes difficult to solve.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      To handle a conversation with information overload<\/a>, you can:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      1. Acknowledge that it\u2019s a lot of information<\/strong>\u2014\u201cIt looks like we have a lot going on here.\u201d<\/li>
      2. Direct focus to the main problem<\/strong>\u2014\u201cLet\u2019s start with the main challenge. What\u2019s the biggest obstacle you\u2019re facing here?\u201d<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n
        Identifying Your Conversational Blind Spots<\/strong>

        While Stanier encourages being aware of conversational pitfalls the person you\u2019re speaking with might stumble into, Judith Glaser in Conversational Intelligence<\/em><\/a> adds onto this by describing four blind spots that you<\/em> should try to avoid when problem-solving in communication<\/a>:

        1) Shared Thinking<\/strong>\u2014Like Stanier, Glaser warns against letting your impressions of the issue lead the conversation. She explains that we tend to believe other people think in the same way we do and suggests that we remind ourselves that others may have different thoughts.

        2) Distrust<\/strong>\u2014When someone\u2019s being vague about their struggles, they might be fearful of your judgment, causing an \u201cunfocused start.\u201d Similarly, Glaser recommends you take note of any feelings of defensiveness you<\/em> might have in these situations. Such feelings might prevent you from understanding where the other person\u2019s coming from and hold you back from correctly naming the real problem up front.

        3) Subjectivity<\/strong>\u2014Another obstacle that Glaser points out is the subjectivity of our memories. She points out that we might have an impression of a conversation that isn\u2019t entirely accurate. As with Stanier\u2019s obstacles, letting these subjective memories affect how we conduct future conversations can get in the way of discovering the real issue.

        4) Misinterpretation<\/strong>\u2014Like Stanier, Glaser notes that meaning can often get lost during a conversation, especially during moments of \u201cinformation overload.\u201d Since you won\u2019t always be able to tell if the other person misinterpreted what you said during your talk, Glaser suggests double-checking at the end to clear up any possible confusion.<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

        How does problem-solving in communication work? What skills do you need for conversational problem-solving? According to leadership expert Michael Bungay Stanier, problem-solving in communication is all about adopting a questions-first approach, which results in more productive solutions. By learning to think like a coach, you can let your curiosity lead the way when faced with a problem, says Stanier. Read on to learn Stanier’s three essential skills for problem-solving in communication.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":19,"featured_media":80881,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[45,34,12],"tags":[896],"class_list":["post-91962","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-business","category-communication","category-relationships","tag-the-advice-trap","","tg-column-two"],"yoast_head":"\nProblem-Solving in Communication: 3 Skills to Master - Shortform Books<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"What's the best approach to problem-solving in communication? Learn Stanier's three essential conversational skills for conflict resolution.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/problem-solving-in-communication\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Problem-Solving in Communication: 3 Skills to Master\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"What's the best approach to problem-solving in communication? Learn Stanier's three essential conversational skills for conflict resolution.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/problem-solving-in-communication\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Shortform Books\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2023-02-08T19:14:00+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2023-02-10T14:50:53+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/wordpress.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/conversation-people-talking.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1200\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"630\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Emily Kitazawa\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Emily Kitazawa\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"7 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/problem-solving-in-communication\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/problem-solving-in-communication\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Emily Kitazawa\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/e094024454c7d3334a149c0cf039bdeb\"},\"headline\":\"Problem-Solving in Communication: 3 Skills to Master\",\"datePublished\":\"2023-02-08T19:14:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2023-02-10T14:50:53+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/problem-solving-in-communication\/\"},\"wordCount\":1569,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/problem-solving-in-communication\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/conversation-people-talking.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"The Advice Trap\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Business\",\"Communication\",\"Relationships\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/problem-solving-in-communication\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/problem-solving-in-communication\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/problem-solving-in-communication\/\",\"name\":\"Problem-Solving in Communication: 3 Skills to Master - Shortform Books\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/problem-solving-in-communication\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/problem-solving-in-communication\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/conversation-people-talking.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2023-02-08T19:14:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2023-02-10T14:50:53+00:00\",\"description\":\"What's the best approach to problem-solving in communication? Learn Stanier's three essential conversational skills for conflict resolution.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/problem-solving-in-communication\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/problem-solving-in-communication\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/problem-solving-in-communication\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/conversation-people-talking.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/conversation-people-talking.jpg\",\"width\":1200,\"height\":630},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/problem-solving-in-communication\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Problem-Solving in Communication: 3 Skills to Master\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/\",\"name\":\"Shortform Books\",\"description\":\"The World's Best Book Summaries\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Shortform Books\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/logo-equilateral-with-text-no-bg.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/logo-equilateral-with-text-no-bg.png\",\"width\":500,\"height\":74,\"caption\":\"Shortform Books\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"}},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/e094024454c7d3334a149c0cf039bdeb\",\"name\":\"Emily Kitazawa\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/0f5c60fcdcf3b7cd02c2882334c15a3d02f74a69631c696c3bce47deb21dc9ac?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/0f5c60fcdcf3b7cd02c2882334c15a3d02f74a69631c696c3bce47deb21dc9ac?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Emily Kitazawa\"},\"description\":\"Emily found her love of reading and writing at a young age, learning to enjoy these activities thanks to being taught them by her mom\u2014Goodnight Moon will forever be a favorite. As a young adult, Emily graduated with her English degree, specializing in Creative Writing and TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language), from the University of Central Florida. She later earned her master\u2019s degree in Higher Education from Pennsylvania State University. Emily loves reading fiction, especially modern Japanese, historical, crime, and philosophical fiction. Her personal writing is inspired by observations of people and nature.\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/author\/emily-kitazawa\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Problem-Solving in Communication: 3 Skills to Master - Shortform Books","description":"What's the best approach to problem-solving in communication? Learn Stanier's three essential conversational skills for conflict resolution.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/problem-solving-in-communication\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Problem-Solving in Communication: 3 Skills to Master","og_description":"What's the best approach to problem-solving in communication? Learn Stanier's three essential conversational skills for conflict resolution.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/problem-solving-in-communication\/","og_site_name":"Shortform Books","article_published_time":"2023-02-08T19:14:00+00:00","article_modified_time":"2023-02-10T14:50:53+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1200,"height":630,"url":"https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/wordpress.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/conversation-people-talking.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Emily Kitazawa","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Emily Kitazawa","Est. reading time":"7 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/problem-solving-in-communication\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/problem-solving-in-communication\/"},"author":{"name":"Emily Kitazawa","@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/e094024454c7d3334a149c0cf039bdeb"},"headline":"Problem-Solving in Communication: 3 Skills to Master","datePublished":"2023-02-08T19:14:00+00:00","dateModified":"2023-02-10T14:50:53+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/problem-solving-in-communication\/"},"wordCount":1569,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/problem-solving-in-communication\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/conversation-people-talking.jpg","keywords":["The Advice Trap"],"articleSection":["Business","Communication","Relationships"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/problem-solving-in-communication\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/problem-solving-in-communication\/","url":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/problem-solving-in-communication\/","name":"Problem-Solving in Communication: 3 Skills to Master - Shortform Books","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/problem-solving-in-communication\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/problem-solving-in-communication\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/conversation-people-talking.jpg","datePublished":"2023-02-08T19:14:00+00:00","dateModified":"2023-02-10T14:50:53+00:00","description":"What's the best approach to problem-solving in communication? Learn Stanier's three essential conversational skills for conflict resolution.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/problem-solving-in-communication\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/problem-solving-in-communication\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/problem-solving-in-communication\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/conversation-people-talking.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/conversation-people-talking.jpg","width":1200,"height":630},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/problem-solving-in-communication\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Problem-Solving in Communication: 3 Skills to Master"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/","name":"Shortform Books","description":"The World's Best Book Summaries","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#organization","name":"Shortform Books","url":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/logo-equilateral-with-text-no-bg.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/logo-equilateral-with-text-no-bg.png","width":500,"height":74,"caption":"Shortform Books"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/e094024454c7d3334a149c0cf039bdeb","name":"Emily Kitazawa","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/0f5c60fcdcf3b7cd02c2882334c15a3d02f74a69631c696c3bce47deb21dc9ac?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/0f5c60fcdcf3b7cd02c2882334c15a3d02f74a69631c696c3bce47deb21dc9ac?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Emily Kitazawa"},"description":"Emily found her love of reading and writing at a young age, learning to enjoy these activities thanks to being taught them by her mom\u2014Goodnight Moon will forever be a favorite. As a young adult, Emily graduated with her English degree, specializing in Creative Writing and TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language), from the University of Central Florida. She later earned her master\u2019s degree in Higher Education from Pennsylvania State University. Emily loves reading fiction, especially modern Japanese, historical, crime, and philosophical fiction. Her personal writing is inspired by observations of people and nature.","url":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/author\/emily-kitazawa\/"}]}},"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/conversation-people-talking.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/91962","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/19"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=91962"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/91962\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":91995,"href":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/91962\/revisions\/91995"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/80881"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=91962"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=91962"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=91962"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}