It’s tough to communicate well under pressure. Stressful situations bring out our argumentative sides, but debate is rarely the best tool to get what you want. As a police officer with a black belt in judo and a PhD in English literature, George J. Thompson developed sharp, yet subtle, tactics for having productive conversations with difficult people. Learn to manage conflict, reduce your stress load, and sharpen your communication skills with our Instaread on VERBAL JUDO.