LISTEN FOR THE RELATIONSHIP ISSUES LURKING BENEATH THEIR “ADVICE” Even when we are alert enough to resist switchtracking, we can fall into another common trap: We stay on the giver’s topic (their track), but we misunderstand what that topic is. This happens in part because of the often-clumsy way givers raise their concerns. Our giver says he is giving us “friendly advice” to help us improve, when really he is raising a deeper relationship issue between us. We take the comment at face value and assume we understand. But we don’t.
