When having a disagreement with someone, don’t try to win. Create a bridge to the next conversation.
Julia Minson, associate professor of public policy at Harvard Kennedy School, explains how sharing a revealing narrative story can help build trust between polarized groups. In her research with David Hagmann and Catherine H. Tinsley, titled, "Personal Narratives Build Trust Across Ideological Divides," they found that people need the personal connection to the discussion in order for their points to resonate. Data and facts can only take the conversation so far.