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Do a favour to yourself, consider mixed signals as ‘No’

In today’s world with a lot of emphasis and lessons on good communication skills people generally practice the sandwich method when replying or suggesting something to someone.

In a sandwich talk, the speaker wants to say something negative to the listener but in doing so does not want to offend or make the listener feel bad, instead, helps the listener digest the negative review. so the speaker very smartly begins first by complimenting the listener or giving a positive review, to make the listener feel good, then puts in the negative comment or review subtly and covers it up with a good comment at the end. So, it’s like packing a negative response stuffing inside two slices of positive responses.

A sandwich method is found useful in communication but when it comes to receiving a negative reply, review, comment or talk, does everyone accept it gratefully?

Not always.

Many times receiving a negative response is found to be hard or difficult to accept, even when it is combined with a couple of positive ones. This is exactly why we are going to look ahead in this write-up and know why to consider mixed signals as a ‘No’.

Is the mixed-signal and sandwich method the same or different?

They are different yet similar. The sandwich method uses one or few negative comments along with more positive comments said before and after the negative ones. A mixed response is a combination of both positive and negative comments with the use of false or unimportant positive comments.

In a mixed response, there surely are likes, agreements or positive comments expressed but it is mainly intended to put across the negatives.

So, it is better to accept mixed responses more often as a ‘No’  and move on. A mixed response can be coming from an intimate someone, a loved one, a stranger, a family member, a superior, a subordinate or a colleague. But the meaning attached to a mixed response should generally be accepted as negative yet taken with a pinch of salt.

How do respond to mixed signals?

1.Be thankful:

Whether the review, comment, or response is negative or positive, one should be thankful to the giver. One who has given you the response has put his or her own thought and time into doing so.
Hence, it is always good to be grateful for people who express their views about you or your work, etc. Gratitude is a virtue.

2.Apologize for negative experience:

You can keep it brief yet it is always recommendable that negative reviews should be responded to with a sincere apology for not making it up to the mark or not being able to reach up to the expectation of the reviewer. This sets in a chance to assess, know and work towards something that can be made better.

3.Work on the specific details:

We should be open and willing to work on the details given in a negative response. Many times, after listening to or reading a negative comment we get upset or disheartened and do not think about going beyond to bring about a change.

Instead, we just keep brooding over the response. It is a beneficial choice to rather start making changes to achieve a positive response in the future.

4.Be meaningful and authentic:

Whether it’s about communication, judgment or task-related, providing a meaningful and authentic response is always appreciable. When your words and work are meaningful, authentic and beneficial you will be considered more often worthy and valuable. Hence, go that extra mile while responding and be meaningful and authentic.

All’s well that ends well: Always conclude with a positive note. Give back a positive response yourself even when what you have received is negative. You can also consider doing an extra favour to someone who has been caused any inconvenience to bring back a smile them.

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