• Skip to content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Right Attitudes

Ideas for Impact

What to Say When Words Escape You

November 25, 2023 By Nagesh Belludi Leave a Comment

What to Say When Words Escape You When faced with a tough question or unexpected situation that leaves you speechless, your best approach is to buy time. This prevents hasty, regrettable responses.

Respond with curiosity using open-ended questions like “Tell me more,” or “What are you hoping to achieve right now?” Neutral statements like “Let me get back to you” can maintain diplomacy and gain thinking space.

If all else fails, honesty works: say, “I’m not sure how to respond.”

Idea for Impact: In a world of quick, snappy answers, taking a moment to think before you speak is often wiser, especially in high-stakes situations.

Wondering what to read next?

  1. What Jeeves Teaches About Passive Voice as a Tool of Tact
  2. Thanks, But No Thanks: Well-Intentioned Reminders Can Resurface Old Wounds
  3. Buy Yourself Time
  4. Don’t Abruptly Walk Away from an Emotionally Charged Conflict
  5. Making the Nuances Count in Decisions

Filed Under: Effective Communication, Sharpening Your Skills Tagged With: Assertiveness, Conflict, Conversations, Etiquette, Negotiation, Social Skills

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

Popular Now

Anxiety Assertiveness Attitudes Balance Biases Coaching Conflict Conversations Creativity Critical Thinking Decision-Making Discipline Emotions Entrepreneurs Ethics Etiquette Feedback Getting Along Getting Things Done Goals Great Manager Innovation Leadership Leadership Lessons Likeability Mental Models Mindfulness Motivation Parables Performance Management Persuasion Philosophy Problem Solving Procrastination Psychology Relationships Simple Living Social Skills Stress Suffering Thinking Tools Thought Process Time Management Winning on the Job Wisdom

About: Nagesh Belludi [hire] is a St. Petersburg, Florida-based freethinker, investor, and leadership coach. He specializes in helping executives and companies ensure that the overall quality of their decision-making benefits isn’t compromised by a lack of a big-picture understanding.

Get Updates

Signup for emails

Subscribe via RSS

Contact Nagesh Belludi

RECOMMENDED BOOK:
Stumbling on Happiness

Stumbling on Happiness: Daniel Gilbert

Harvard psychologist Daniel Gilbert shares factual findings that will change the way you look at the world and seek happiness and joy.

Explore

  • Announcements
  • Belief and Spirituality
  • Business Stories
  • Career Development
  • Effective Communication
  • Great Personalities
  • Health and Well-being
  • Ideas and Insights
  • Inspirational Quotations
  • Leadership
  • Leadership Reading
  • Leading Teams
  • Living the Good Life
  • Managing Business Functions
  • Managing People
  • MBA in a Nutshell
  • Mental Models
  • News Analysis
  • Personal Finance
  • Podcasts
  • Project Management
  • Proverbs & Maxims
  • Sharpening Your Skills
  • The Great Innovators

Recently,

  • Your Brain Is Lying to You. Here’s How to Catch It.
  • How to Ask for a Raise—and Negotiate in a Way That Commands Respect
  • Inspirational Quotations #1158
  • There’s a Time for Everything
  • The Boss’s Balancing Act: Too Close vs. Too Distant
  • How to Handle an Employee’s Request for a Raise
  • Inspirational Quotations #1157

Unless otherwise stated in the individual document, the works above are © Nagesh Belludi under a Creative Commons BY-NC-ND license. You may quote, copy and share them freely, as long as you link back to RightAttitudes.com, don't make money with them, and don't modify the content. Enjoy!