Stubbornness can be a blessing or a curse. Being stubborn at work can see you getting your own way when it comes to business decisions, meeting plans, and presentation ideas. However, being stubborn at work can also make people dislike working with you as you don’t listen and struggle to see other people’s points of view.
The same could be said at home. If you have a stubborn partner, they may fight in your corner and have your back, but they might also be a pain in the neck when it comes to convincing them of your ideas. If you know that your recipe for a bolognese ragu is the best, but they won’t have it, there is no changing their mind. Dealing with stubborn people is an art form. Read on to discover how you can get the better of them.
Plan Your Interactions
When you converse with a stubborn person, they can wind you up in a very short space of time with their refusal to budge on a point of view. To them, it is their way or the high way. To combat this, you need to pre-plan your interaction and compete in a bout of word chess. Have a strategy to approach the individual in a non-confrontational way. With stubborn people, you have to plant the seed of an idea and make them believe that it is theirs rather than yours.
Don’t state that they are wrong and insult their standpoint. Instead, coerce them gently by slightly changing their concept to your way of thinking. If they are adamant that it’s pizza for dinner, but you want pasta, gently guide them to your way of thinking, all the while having them believe that pasta is their idea.
Be Emotive
For many stubborn people, they struggle to cope with anything emotional or involving feelings. This can be their kryptonite.
If you know that your partner needs a hearing aid because they are forever watching their favorite Netflix box set at higher and higher volumes, plant the idea carefully in their head. Leave leaflets about hearing tests around the house, and keep the homepage of a local hearing aid provider open in your Internet browser for your partner to see. This way, they can learn more about hearing aids without you having to bombard them with endless nagging.
By taking an emotive stance, you are tapping into their more sensitive side. By bringing your argument forward from a caring viewpoint, your partner will be more inclined to listen.
Breathe
Dealing with someone who is so stubborn can be exhausting. Often through no maliciousness, they will demand that you buy into their way of thinking. You need to step away from this and not entertain this mental exercise. Instead, take your own viewpoint and fight stubbornness with stubbornness. If you aren’t having your ideas listened to, simply walk away.
While stubborn people make excellent business leaders who are ruthless in their pursuit of excellence, within the home, it is a trait that is less desired. Follow this guide and try to deal with the stubborn people in your life in a measured and calm way.
