The Gentle Art of Verbal Self-Defense at Work

The book also provides a "gentle" reminder of the sometimes overlooked centrality of tone and inflection in communication. Running as a theme throughout the book is Elgin's view that in English "more than half of the information is not in the words, but with body language, modulating the intonation of the voice." While this insight should be essential to mediation, negotiation and advocacy, the subject is rarely addressed in the same formal manner as the art of dispute resolution vocabulary. We're are all taught how to use language in dispute resolution -- but which of us are instructed in how to use our voices? Yet the impact of inflection can be dramatic. I recall that in New York City twenty-five years ago, two judges in adjacent courtrooms had criminal jury conviction rates of 33% and 95%, respectively. It turns out that the first judge charged the jury to convict "IF you find the defendant is guilty beyond ANY reasonable doubt", while the second judge instructed them to convict if they found guilt "beyond any REASONABLE doubt." While the transcripts were identical, their results clearly were not.

Not for the professional, this book is still a useful guide for those who might need to be sensitized to hidden patterns of verbal toxicity, and some common-sense steps to avoid -- and deflect -- them.

Biography

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