ABSTRACT
As an example of psychoverbal communication in action, we shall examine here, in the final chapter, a problem which faces managers all over the world – how to give advice and handle criticism. Giving advice is one of the most difficult aspects of interpersonal communication, as the advice has to be given in a way that is accepted by the other person, otherwise barriers are created and the change process you require will never happen. Very often giving advice is interpreted as criticism, our defence barriers rise and the conversation degenerates into a non-productive, often vituperative dialogue. If either party views the conversation as giving or receiving ‘criticism’, then it is unlikely that anything positive will come from the discussion. Words must be phrased in such a way that both parties think of the exchange as ‘giving advice’ or ‘receiving advice’.
