There are (at least) two levels to every conversation. There’s the informational content, and there’s the (often unspoken) emotional context/content. Sometimes being honest on one level can be unnecessarily hurtful on another. And in a professional setting, allowing too much emotion into the conversation can make it hard for a listener to really understand the factual information you’re trying to convey. Instead of coming away thinking, “I need to make sure the risk assessment for the project is solid,” they’ll think, “Damien is freaking out, and might need a day off this week to get some rest.”
There are (at least) two levels to every conversation. There’s the informational content, and there’s the (often unspoken) emotional context/content. Sometimes being honest on one level can be unnecessarily hurtful on another. And in a professional setting, allowing too much emotion into the conversation can make it hard for a listener to really understand the factual information you’re trying to convey. Instead of coming away thinking, “I need to make sure the risk assessment for the project is solid,” they’ll think, “Damien is freaking out, and might need a day off this week to get some rest.”
The best book I’ve read on communication skills is How to Talk So Kids Will Listen, and How to Listen So Kids Will Talk. I use stuff I learned from that book literally every single day.