Know-It-Alls don’t listen to opinions of others and offer information or advice whether it’s asked for or not. Their smug, superior attitude implies that others are stupid, weak and inferior; they speak with a tone of authority, even when addressing issues outside their expertise. Know-It-Alls relish saying, “I told you so!” if you fail to follow their advice. They can’t be right without making you wrong, so they persist at the know-it-all game in order to gain a feeling of power, albeit a false power.
Based on the book, “Get Along with Anyone, Anytime, Anywhere … 8 keys to creating enduring connections with customers, co-workers – even kids” by Arnold Sanow and Sandy Strauss, here are 5 tips for handling Know-It-Alls:
2. Don’t discount, discredit, or disagree. Validate their ideas first and then introduce your own: “Justin, that’s certainly a possibility. Here’s what I thought”
3. If they deliver information with a surly tone, tell them that while their advice is instructive, their tone is a turn-off.
4. If you should be a recipient of their favorite line, “I told you so!” respond that such a statement isn’t productive, focusing on the consequences of such a comment.
5. If you have concerns about the validity of what they say, ask probing questions as well as verifying their information to keep them on their toes. Ask “what if” questions to put their logic to the test. Have them play out their worst case scenarios as a way of checking the legitimacy of their suggestions.
By: Arnold Sanow
Source: Leader's Beacon
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