#121 – Tactical Empathy: how to turn resistance into momentum

What’s up y’all! I’m back at it after a summer hiatus. I actually wrote/recorded this episode back in May 2025, but then summer hit with camping trips, work projects, grad school, home renovations… you know, life! I’m pumped to bring this episode to you finally and this will be followed pretty quickly by a three-part series on hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, which is going to be stellar!

Check out these continuing education conferences with Encore Symposiums if you want to connect in person, as I’ll be speaking at each of them:

2025 October 20-23: New England at the Cliff House, Maine

2026 October 19-22: Autumn in Bar Harbor, Maine

2026 November 14-18: O’ahu Turtle Bay, Hawaii (Ritz Carlton)

This episode dives into tactical empathy: how to turn resistance into momentum in your conversations.

This could be useful whether you’re negotiating with your 4-year old on taking a bath, rebooking a flight after yours got canceled or in the boardroom trying to implement a new project or proposal.

In this episode, we’ll walk through:

The role of loss aversion in negotiation

Techniques of tactical empathy: naming, mirroring

The power of “yes, and…” (a tool from improv comedy)

How to “start with no” in a negotiation by asking “how am I supposed to do that?” in a kind, vulnerable way.