Getting Defensive - Part 1

Being defensive is usually a less than optimal way of responding and may only serve to escalate the situation; creating further barriers to meaningful communication. Whether something was said to you in spite, or you merely misinterpreted a comment, avoiding an aggressive response is often more prudent. In their communication series, Leslie and Leslyn share twelve strategies for breaking down those defensive barriers. This episode begins with the first half of that list.

SHOW NOTES:

In this episode, Leslie and Leslyn introduce the first few of several strategies to help you prevent defensiveness from disrupting your communication. We all get defensive. In fact, many of them are created in childhood to protect us from perceived threats. As we grow, they continue to root in our psyche until we are no longer aware of them. Like the fence in your backyard, we simply acknowledge it as part of the whole.

In this first of two episodes, the discussion highlights the role of emotional defenses and then suggestions for mitigating the deleterious effects are presented. Leslie and Leslyn offer tips and examples of how to break down those barriers to a more effective and healthy communication pattern.

As usual, their discussion elaborates on real world examples; breaking apart the dysfunctional habits and offering specific alternatives to improve all of your relationships. Simple strategies are presented in a printable format in the Free Resources area of the website for reference although it isn’t a bad idea to scribble a few notes as you listen!