Practicing Indirectness

The next two exercises give you a chance to practice the skill of indirect communication. In this first activity, you are presented with a series of eight direct statements.

Try to rephrase them to make them more indirect, writing your suggestions in the blank space below each one.

While these statements could be appropriate in some situations, the setting here is a meeting, where allowing people to save face is important. Suggested rephrasing of the first statement is offered as an example.

1. I don't think that's such a good idea.	Do you think that's a good idea? Are there any other ideas? I like most parts of that idea.
2. That's not the point.
3. I think we should...
4. What do you think Mr. Cato? (Calling on people sometimes embarrasses them. How can you find out what Mr. Cato thinks without asking him?)
5. Those figures are not accurate.
6. You're doing that wrong.
7. I don't agree.