What was your first reaction when you read that subject?
Anything good or full of stomach aches, heart racing, or the urge to run away?
I love to hear your reactions, so feel free to reply.
I bet it wasn’t something good.
“We need to talk” or your mother-tongue equivalent is a recipe for disaster.
It sounds harmless like you actually want to talk about something in an open manner from adult to adult; on eye level.
But mostly, it is not.
It became the perfect way to tell the other party that their opinion doesn’t matter, only your own matters and they have to abide by what you want. Or else…
So, stop using it if you truly want an honest exchange and not put the other in defense mode.
Frankly, it would be much easier if people approached others about issues the same way they’d want to be approached themselves.
Imagine how much more understanding we’d create if we approached conversations with the same openness we’d hope for ourselves.
Next time, try something less loaded than ‘We need to talk’—you might just be surprised by the response.