According to a Pew Research Center study of 10,000 American adults, our societies are increasingly polarized. In particular, we are less likely to make concessions in our exchanges, and our ability to listen to our interlocutors has deteriorated. This trend is also affecting professional discussions, with negative repercussions on collaboration, creativity and performance. Here are a few tips to bring an unproductive discussion out of a dead end:

- Approach every conversation by making the bet that you are going to learn something. You will thus put yourself in a propitious frame of mind to enrich the exchange, beyond the affirmation of your own point of view.

- Be fully present. When our attention is split between listening and our own thoughts, we have a greater tendency to overreact to certain words that appear to confirm our preconceptions.

- Listen with the intention of understanding, without immediately preparing your response. Ask open questions to better understand the way in which your interlocutor sees the situation, and be prepared to be surprised by their point of view.

Source:  10 ways to have a better conversation, Celeste Headlee, TEDxCreativeCoast, May 2015.