Great points, Misty S. Bledsoe. You’re right that these techniques assume the other party is reasonably rational and cooperative. I’ve actually written a little bit about dealing with narcissists and passive aggressive people.

Non-Violent Communication, Difficult Conversations, and Thanks for the Feedback are other excellent reads for more strategies.

Either way, I love this feedback and will add an in-depth follow-up piece on what to do when fighting fair miserably fails to my list!