Page 206 - Effective Communication Skills Mastery Bible 4 Books in 1 Boxset by Tuhovsky, Ian

Chapter 19:

How to Predict Future

Behaviors

I n this short but useful chapter, I’m going to show you

one of my favorite tricks that few people know about:

how to predict how anyone will act in the future. It’s

invaluable in many different situations, such as work

interviews, dating, business meetings, etc. Have you ever been

asked annoying and pointless questions during job interviews,
such as, “So tell me about your approach to work,” or, “Where

do you see yourself in five years?” Well, by asking these

questions, people usually want to learn something about your

future behaviors and your mindset, but since no one would

respond, “I don’t give a crap about work and you know that;

all I need is your money and my peace after five,” or, “In five
years I see myself chilling out in Tahiti with a drink in my

hand,” these questions usually don’t make any real sense and

aren’t asked by HR professionals who know what they’re

doing, nor by effective communicators.

Don’t just ask people things like, “So, tell me how you deal
with conflicts?” because what you are going to get is a bland

and pointless answer, crafted so that you hear what you want

to hear. Unfortunately, their real behavior will be revealed only

during the real conflict. Do you want to know what is most

likely to show you future behaviors? Past behavior—the best
future predictor! If you are about to ask someone a question