Originally found at Psychology Today

What do you do when someone complains?

If you’re like many of us, you go along with it or even join right in.

Unfortunately, this isn’t the best response to venting. One study [published in the Academy of Management Discoveries] calls for us to be “challenger listeners.” Being a challenger listener means we should hear people out but then complicate their thinking about their complaints. This is often what a therapist does. They might ask you to think about someone else's perspective or point out blind spots in your reasoning.

Continue reading the original article at Psychology Today.

Read the original research in Academy of Management Discoveries.

Read the Academy of Management Insights summary.

Learn more about the AOM Scholars and explore their work:

• Kristin J. Behfar, United States War College
• Matthew A. Cronin, George Mason University