2/15/22, 11:26 AM 12 Ways To Deal With Stubborn People And Convince Them To Listen - Lifehack

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12 Ways To Deal With Stubborn People And Convince

Them To Listen
June Silny
ADHD Coach, Writer, ADDitude Magazine featured contributor Read full profile

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If you have a stubborn person in your life, consider yourself lucky. Stubborn people can be annoying, stressful and drive you
crazy. Your stubborn person could be the person who sits next to you at work or your own father. Once you learn how to work
with him (not against him), you will be shocked to discover how strong, smart and clever you are.

1. Bring it on! Start a new attitude.

View a stubborn person as an opportunity to become a better version of yourself. You’ve heard, “You can’t change anyone else,
you can only change yourself.” Well, here’s your chance. Change the way you view that challenging person.

2. Take a pause.
Resist the urge to engage in an argument. Impulse control is a character strength that will help you. Don’t give in to your defense
impulse. Excuse yourself to go to the bathroom (where you can let out a scream, shake it off, and go back to the brick wall you
have to face).

3. Play word chess.

Strategically plan your conversations. The right move with the right words can result in a positive outcome instead of a fight. It’s
up to you to say the right thing. Just do everything you can to avoid saying “No, you are wrong.” Present your opposing opinion
with respect and dignity.

4. Get them to listen to what you have to say.

Sit down, don’t talk to your boyfriend if he’s in the bathroom while you’re sitting in bed. Take it to a table. Try to keep the
conversation business-like. Listen to the volume and tone of your own voice. Remember: Talk face-to-face and heart-to-heart.

5. The right time…

Wait for the opportune moment to make your point. If you’re talking to a man, feed him first. If you’re talking to a female, before
you talk, check out her mood stats. Is she stressed out and annoyed or smiley and calm? Ask yourself, is this the best time to
present my case?

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6. Go slow.
This is a process. Learn to wait (discover how patient you can be). It takes time to open a closed mind.

7. Break it into segments.

A stubborn person suffers from temporary hearing loss. The only opinion he hears is his own. An opposing opinion should be
delivered in small portions. Plant seeds, leave pebbles, break it down. Little segments are easier to digest.

8. Think about their point of view.

Practice compassion. It’s hard to be patient with a person who is pushing your back against the wall, but try to understand
(without doing a full psychoanalysis) what she sees. If you have four brothers and enjoy seeing her, your only child girlfriend will
not understand why you want to meet her for dinner once a week.

9. Stubborn people are smart, good in business, and great

decision makers.
Don’t rush to change him. Flip your thinking: Realize a brick wall attitude is a positive strength. Persistence is a good thing.
Stubbornness is a close relative of perseverance; a trait needed for success. Think of how it benefits you.

10. Take the reigns.

Do not hook into his anti-everything, nay-saying attitude. See through it, identify it, acknowledge it (silently in your mind), and
take control of how you handle the situation. Without putting him down, try to see his point of view and then respectfully (no
head-butting allowed) show him his opinion is important, then gently ask him to respect your opposing opinion.

11. Breathe deeply.

Dealing with a stubborn person can be exhausting. It feels like you are walking on eggshells, whenever you take a step, you can
hear the crackling under your feet. Whatever you say is never the right thing to say.

12. Enjoy the new you!

Once you master these skills, you are the king (or queen) of the conversation. You are now calmer, smarter and stronger than you
were before. Sounds like a lot of work but when you practice these tips, it will become natural. Look at it this way: Some of the
greatest contributors to society are of strong mind and will. Where would we be without the stubbornness of Steve Jobs, Jeff
Bezos and Bill Gates? Stubbornness is the drive to push through the challenges, (as long as you’re not one of them).

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There is a fine line between stubbornness and persistence. Strong-willed people are not easy to deal with when it comes to people
skills, but ironically enough, it could be one of the secrets to success. Determination and persistence are character traits required
for success.

Even Bill Gates admits he is stubborn. In a Rolling Stone Magazine interview, when Bill Gates was asked: “You mentioned Mark
Zuckerberg. When you look at what he’s done, do you see some of yourself in him?” Gates, “Oh, sure. We’re both Harvard
dropouts, we both had strong, stubborn views of what software could do.”

“Stubbornness almost to the point of dumb optimism [allowed me to be successful].” Tom Horton, former president and
CEO of American Airlines.

Stubborn people are strong-willed people, a skill necessary to become successful in business. However, it’s not easy to live with
them. Once you stop viewing this personality trait as negative, stop butting heads with them, and learn how to deal with a
determined leader, you will become the top gun. Thank your stubborn person for making you a better person.

What Else Do You Want to Improve About Yourself?

Pick what you need most and give yourself a radical upgrade:

Make My Goal Happen

Improve My Focus

Reach My Full Potential

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ADHD Coach, Writer, ADDitude Magazine featured contributor

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 Last Updated on February 14, 2022

5 Effective Ways to Communicate with Millennials

Zak Mustapha
Blogger & Marketer Read full profile

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Millennials are often misunderstood but they are the next generation to take control of both the workplace and economy.
Therefore, manager and marketers want to know the best way to communicate with this confusing generation.

Communication of the past, such as meeting in person and talking on the telephone are not the forms of communication that the
majority of millennials engage in. While they are social and like communicating with others, it has to be in a way that makes them
feel comfortable.

It may seem like too much of a hassle to try to cater to such strange preferences, but it is better to engage this group of people
correctly, rather than bypass them completely. You can’t be a business owner and afford not to convert millennials into your
customers.

Here are the 5 most effective ways to communicate with millennials.

1. Partake in Mobile Communication

Millennials love their phones. Their phones are constantly in their hands, as if it were a permanent attachment. They check their
phones immediately when they wake up, the phone is given more attention than actual people at the dinner table, and their phone
stores almost all of their entertainment. Their phone is a very important asset for them.

It is in your company’s best interest to take advantage of millennials fascination with their phones. Texting is the preferred form
of communication for millennials – entire conversations can be had through text conversation.

Your business should be using text marketing to communicate with millennials. They will be more receptive to this form of
communication and choose to engage with it. It would be wiser to place your money in a marketing activity that will actually
provide a positive ROI for your business – converting your target market into customers.

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2. Create a Community
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Millennials like to feel as if they are partaking in something special – something that provides them with an actual purpose. Just
selling a product or service to them without a distinctive message will not work in your favor. They don’t like being sold to, instead
they like engaging within a movement that feels authentic and fun. Experiences are what they crave, so your business must work
to involve them within your company’s vision and mission.

Develop an interactive community that puts your millennial consumers to work. Give them something distinctive to do, such as
working within their local community. Or have them do something different every month, such as a new challenge to complete
that will be scored against others in the community. The fun and engaging factor of your business will provide it with more
attention, pulling in other millennials who want to be an active member of your growing community.

3. Leverage the Power of Social Media

Millennials are always on social media communicating and engaging in conversations that resonate with their interest. Beyond
texting, social media is the form of communication that millennials frequently use to socialize. Social media platforms are where
millennials receive their news and other important information. They also make their purchasing decisions based off of social
media feedback and brand engagement.

Your brand must engage with millennial consumers by making them a key focus of the conversation. Ask what they like and don’t
like about your product or service. Make them brand ambassadors – placing them in a position of empowerment. Once they feel
you actually care about what they feel and have to say, they become more loyal and willing to promote your brand to their friends.

4. Demonstrate You Understand Their Values

Millennials will only do business with those that understand their values. Among these values are: connections, experiences,
purpose, encouragement, and innovation. Your company has to communicate its understanding of these values and illustrate that
it considers them to be very important within its culture.

Your company should have millennials as employees who are in a position of leadership. It shows your millennial consumers that
you trust their ability to perform and make decisions. Their generation is constantly being talked down upon, so it gives them
great satisfaction when people are willing to give them a chance to prove themselves.

5. Don’t be so Serious
Millennials understand that life is serious, but that doesn’t mean that they want to be so serious that they can’t have fun. Being
too serious stifles their creativity and freedom, two things that they absolutely need to function well. Once their positive vibe is
smothered, they tune out and become less productive.

Show that your brand is all about fun and enjoyment. Add humor into your marketing messages and illustrate that you love for
your consumers to enjoy life. Don’t make business strictly business – it has to make people feel excited to be a part of it.

Conclusion
While millennials are vastly different from previous generations, they are not impossible to reach and engage with. Take the time
to understand how they communicate and what motivates their behaviors and actions. Once you truly understand how to
communicate with them, the easier it will be for you to convert them into your customers.

What Else Do You Want to Improve About Yourself?

Pick what you need most and give yourself a radical upgrade:

Make My Goal Happen

Improve My Focus

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2/15/22, 11:26 AM 12 Ways To Deal With Stubborn People And Convince Them To Listen - Lifehack

Reach My Full Potential

Featured photo credit: Redd via unsplash.com

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