>From a friend in Malaysia:

Something I got from a teaching by John Maxwell and Bill Hybels.

I wish I knew this phrases when I was chairing the many church meetings in the years past! I hope this short points would help you in the next meeting you attend/chair. Here it is:

What To Say

When you hear an idea that sounds crazy at first, say

Help me understand

When someone is being dogmatic about an issue, say

Can I push back on that a little?

When presenting a big risk or radical idea, say

Give me an umbrella or mercy here

When there’s a general uneasiness in a meeting, say

There’s an elephant in the room

When someone is whining, blaming or rehashing the obvious, say

Can we get on the solution side of the problem

When you need to speak the hard truth, say

With your permission, I’d like to give you the last ten percent

After a difficult meeting, say

Are we alright with each other?