@carole-robin
Stanford GSB professor; expert on building deeper, more honest relationships.
Most people think giving feedback will damage a relationship. It won't. Feedback given poorly damages relationships. Feedback given well — because you're invested in the person — actually builds them.
When someone reacts completely out of proportion to what you said, ask: "What did you hear me say?" Nine times out of ten, what they heard is not what you actually said. That one question can repair almost anything.
In the absence of data, people make stuff up. If you don't want others to define you incorrectly, disclose more — you'll have more control over your own self-definition, not less.
"Are you human after all?" That was the day I became a leader. To this day I know any of them would follow me anywhere.
"Talk about a pinch before it becomes a crunch." Small irritations grow when ignored. Substitute the word 'it' with 'I, you, we' — then ask yourself: am I worth it? Are you? Are we?