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You are here: Home / How to Grow Leaders / 5 Tips for Dealing With Unresponsive People

5 Tips for Dealing With Unresponsive People

by Martin Webster 

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    Read in 2 minutes

    We are often faced with difficult personalities in the workplace. And sometimes we need a strategy for dealing with unresponsive people. Here is a short list of tips for dealing with unresponsive people.

    Picture of a woman with eyes closed and fingers in ears.

    Dealing With Unresponsive People

    The unresponsive react to difficult situations by remaining silent. Some avoid their fears―to limit personal risk―and become unresponsive and non-committal. Others use silence as an aggressive device to deny access. Either way, unresponsive behaviour requires patience and tact.

    He who does not know how to be silent will not know how to speak. – Ausonius

    #1 Ask Open-Ended Questions

    Ask open-ended questions. That is, those starting with what, why or how? This will―in time―show the person that you expect them to get involved more often than usual when dealing with you.

    #2 Wait for a Response

    When you ask a question be patient and wait for a response. Even though silence is uncomfortable resist the temptation to step in and rescue them.

    #3 Listen Actively

    When they reply, be attentive, listen actively and allow them to be vague. Encourage them to add detail with additional open-ended questions.

    #4 Summarise

    When they do not respond be ready to reschedule your meeting and revisit the issue again. Before breaking summarise what was said and list any actions you will take.

    #5 Follow-Up

    Never allow them to believe that issues will be dropped if they ignore or show apathy toward them. Always follow up as this will show genuine interest in their ideas and result in more confident discussions.

    Dealing with unresponsive people can be frustrating and difficult because the communication barrier they put up. Use these tips and emotional intelligence―other awareness―to help them converse openly.

    Have Your Say

    How often do you tolerate silence? When was the last time you helped someone express their feelings? What advice would you give to someone dealing with unresponsive people? Please join the discussion.

    Creative Commons image courtesy Hilde Skjølberg.

    Filed Under: How to Grow Leaders Tagged With: Communication, Emotional Intelligence, Personal Effectiveness

    Comments

    1. Tyler says

      February 21, 2014 at 12:58 am

      Your tips are good if maybe you seem uninteresting to someone or for someone accidentally putting the conversation in a spot where the reply ends the conversation. Though I find that if people don’t respond it’s best to just leave them alone and let them respond and start a conversation with you. I get people are busy or may have many conversations going on at the same time so they may not respond. But if I person just seems to rarely or never respond I just tend to leave them alone. There will always be someone else happy to talk to you.

      Reply
      • Martin Webster says

        February 21, 2014 at 8:46 am

        Hello Tyler,

        Thanks for taking the time to comment on this post. While I think I understand what you are saying, this isn’t practical in the workplace. For instance, if you are seeking someone’s opinion or want someone to take responsibility for a task, leaving them be is not an option.

        As ever,
        Martin

        Reply

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