When you are writing something, or preparing a presentation and you want to make sure to be listened to and taken seriously without the other people feeling threatened, first prepare your draft. Then, ask yourself if you have implied or stated the following: There is something they don't already know, I am telling them what to do, They have a problem and I have the solution, They are not perfect in some way, and/or I am better than they are in some way. If any of the above are stated or implied, it does not pass the Macho Test!
