Instead of formulating a subsequent point that is mainly as a follow-up to my previous point, I will make the effort to listen more intently to the counterargument and validate the other party's perspective by asking a neutral question for clarification of the counterargument first. My natural impulse is to attack or disprove the counterargument in my first response to the exchange. My action plan will require that I delay my response for at least one more exchange and that my first substantive point will be directed by the specific point of the other party instead of by my previous point, necessarily.
To address the second communication problem that I identified, my action plan
requires me to implement two specific changes in the actual arguments that I employ.
Analogies are often very effective in responding to arguments, but they may not always be the most appropriate first choice with every audience. Some individuals typically confuse an analogy with a comparison; therefore my action plan requires me to use a different tactical approach for my first point and, more generally, to make an attempt to gauge the likely ability of the other party to understand analogies in principle before relying on them. More specifically, my action plan also requires me to explicitly introduce any analogies as analogies to reduce any chance that the listener will misconstrue them as direct comparisons or misunderstand my position.
Conclusion:
To accomplish this goal, the action plan requires that my first response be designed to provide validation to the other party instead of a decisive expression of my position. More specifically, my contribution to a discussion involving disagreement must provide an acknowledgment to the other party that I have understood his point and my first response will address the perspective of the other party before introducing an argument from a different perspective.
Because analogies are sometimes confusing to the listener, my action plan
requires that I avoid relying on analogies too heavily or responding by analogy prematurely. Finally, since presenting analogies without explicit introduction as
analogies increases the likelihood of confusion, my action plan requires that I always introduce analogies explicitly first.
References
Beebe, S.A., Beebe, S.J., Redmond, M.V. (2008). Interpersonal Communication
(Relating to others) 5th Edition. Needs City/Publishing Co.
Blair G. (2003). Groups that Work. Washington, DC: IEEE Press.
Locker, K.O. (2005). Business and Administrative Communication. Boston, MA:
McGraw-Hill.
