I'd like to pass along something I've been trying out that's been surprisingly helpful in dealing with others. It's quite simple: I've combined Nicholas Boothman's idea of a Really Useful Attitude (from the book How to Make People Like You in 90 Seconds or Less [1]) with smiling when I approach someone new. This approach (RUA+Smile) has resulted in amazingly better interactions with people, especially folks with "problems."
Briefly, here's how it works: First, before an encounter with someone I establish the useful attitude I want to bring to it. I usually pick two, such as curious and needing help. Then I put a smile on my face and jump right in.
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