Shutting down a discussion

In a thought-provoking post, blogger Lynette Spicer writes about how one person can shut down a discussion:

I’ve had several instances in person and via email lately that I mentally thought….that was a discussion stopper. I wanted to explain how one person can do that–shut down a discussion that had it continued would have had some benefit to solve a problem or move a group on to accomplishments.

Spicer adds that being hypersensitive, argumentative, and/or judgmental are among the ways that one person can kill off a possibly useful exchange.

Having been on the giving and receiving end of such conversational ‘tude, I suggest that this can be a very tricky subject.  There are reasons why people can be difficult in discussions.  They may be grounded in a bad past experience, distrust towards other participants in the present conversation, an undesirable personality trait, or some combination of factors.  Such behaviors could be a form of bullying, or the result of having been bullied.

In short, to understand what’s going on, we need to look at all individuals who are part of the conversation and the surrounding organizational system and culture that form a backdrop for the exchange.

For Spicer’s full post from the Civility in the Workplace blog:  extension.iastate.edu/mt/civility/2009/06/how_does_one_person_shut_down.html