The Right Time for Flip-Flops<\/h2>\n

Do you know someone who is very difficult to argue with because he keeps changing sides all the time? One viewpoint is supported staunchly today; another entirely different one is defended tomorrow.<\/p>\n

Maybe his strategy is to be confusing or frustrating. Maybe he views arguing as a sport. Whatever the case, one truth remains…<\/p>\n

Constantly flip-flopping<\/em> in your opinions can really crush your credibility.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Does that mean it\u2019s never good to change your position? Of course not. But when you do, here are a few tips that will ease the pain and help you maintain a level of respect with those you\u2019re engaging.<\/p>\n

How to change your mind without losing credibility:<\/h3>\n

\n
• Own the flip-flop.<\/strong> In other words, acknowledge and even call attention to the fact that you\u2019ve changed your mind. Don\u2019t be ambiguous here \u2013 you\u2019ll only confuse the other person.<\/li>\n
• Explain the reason for the change.<\/strong> Share your thought process \u2013 where<\/em> you started and what<\/em> caused you to change your mind. Essentially, you should be able to clearly explain how<\/em> you reached your new viewpoint.<\/li>\n
• Give credit<\/strong> to those who assisted you with your thought process to enlighten the other party even more.<\/li>\n
• Be open to listening<\/strong> to any questions, concerns or suggestions. Remember to listen thoughtfully and respond with straightforward answers that will help the other party understand your new viewpoint.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

  If you follow these steps, two things will happen.<\/h3>\n

  First, you will seem human<\/strong>, which is critical in building trust and respect. No one can ever be right the first time, every<\/em> time. A person who is willing to admit they may have been wrong and openly change their opinion is one to be valued.<\/p>\n

  Second, you will cause others to rethink their position.<\/strong> With all other things equal, the testimony of the person who switched to a certain point of view will be more powerful and impactful than the testimony from the person who was there from the beginning.<\/p>\n

  Now, for the other kind of flip-flops…<\/h3>\n

  Regarding the flip-flops you wear on your feet\u2026 Tis the Season! I recommend early and often. And if your circle of influence is kind, you\u2019ll receive far less scrutiny for the fashion choice versus the point of view!<\/p>\n

  Let\u2019s hear your viewpoint! Share your opinion – on both the act of flip-flopping and the fashion choice of flip-flops – by leaving a comment below.<\/p>\n

   <\/p>\n

  Image courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

  The Right Time for Flip-Flops Do you know someone who is very difficult to argue with because he keeps changing sides all the time? One viewpoint is supported staunchly today; another entirely different one is defended tomorrow. Maybe his strategy is to be confusing or frustrating. Maybe he views arguing as a sport. Whatever the …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":909,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[9],"tags":[88,113,117,114,112,116,50,115],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thepeopleadvantage.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/908"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thepeopleadvantage.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thepeopleadvantage.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thepeopleadvantage.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thepeopleadvantage.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=908"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/thepeopleadvantage.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/908\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":912,"href":"https:\/\/thepeopleadvantage.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/908\/revisions\/912"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thepeopleadvantage.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/909"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thepeopleadvantage.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=908"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thepeopleadvantage.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=908"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thepeopleadvantage.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=908"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}