Raele Altano shows how replacing "but" with phrases like "on that note" or "that being said" keeps disagreements from sounding dismissive. Breaking one sentence into two separate statements makes you sound more collaborative, especially when talking to people you don't know well or in situations with power imbalances.
Okay, so you want to disagree with someone without completely minimizing their point or idea or sounding overly contradictory. How do we do that? Replace the "but" in your sentences with another phrase and by breaking up your sentences. For example, instead of "That sounds like a nice idea, but we're going to stick with our original plan. You can try." "That sounds like a nice idea." Period. "For now, we're going to stick with our original plan and see how that unfolds." The message and your decision is the same, but the delivery is totally different. Using "but" in the middle of a sentence can negate everything that you said before it, even when you're trying to be complimentary, and it can also sound a little dismissive. So breaking up your sentence and actually making it two sentences in the way that I did in my example can take a few extra words to do, but can be so helpful in sounding more collaborative and just more positive. Other replacement phrases can include "on that note," "that being said," "with that in mind," This is a great tool when you're talking to someone you don't really know very well, or when there's a power dynamic and you wanna soften or round out what you're saying a little bit more for whatever reason. So if you ever feel stuck with using but in your sentences and how to replace the sound and the delivery of that, this is a great video to keep in mind. I'm Well with Raele, here to help with your speaking skills and social confidence. And as always, I hope this was helpful.
