I’m in a personal situation where the other person has completely shut me out—getting back to safety is not happening. The other person will not respond—not even to emails. What is an appropriate way to make a last attempt? I’m thinking of sending one last message, something like, “If you would like to talk, please contact me. I would like to hear from you.” Then should I just wait it out? What can I do?

My wife has a good job and is an overachiever. Prior to the Covid pandemic, I had a great job that paid well, and at the time I made more than her. Then I lost my job and struggled for about a year before landing a job that pays less. My wife, on the other hand, was promoted and given a raise during this time, so now she makes more than I do. She SAYS it makes no difference, but I’ve noticed changes in our relationship and how she treats me. Should I bring this up to her? How do I confront her behavior and what appears to be a lack of respect?

Dear Crucial Skills, I have a new supervisor (recently promoted) and we have a difficult history. Previously she trained me, but her training was inadequate, she overloaded me with work, she demanded I complete assignments faster and faster, and she said I was making excuses if I couldn’t. Tomorrow, we have our first one-on-one and …

How can I maintain a healthy relationship with my partner when political discussions consistently escalate into verbal abuse? While we have an otherwise loving relationship, his angry reactions to my political views are damaging our communication. His views lean one way, and I lean the other, and if we discuss politics it turns into him cutting me off, digging into his views, and calling me stupid and other names. What can I do?

I have a coworker who has consistently misspelled my name for six months. It’s displayed correctly on my desk and my email signature, and yet this persists. How can I approach him about this without provoking defensiveness?

I have a coworker who dominates nearly every conversation. She is outspoken, brash, and often has no filter. Sometimes the things she says are uncomfortably candid. I don’t think she is a bad person, but I often find myself drained after speaking with her. How should I approach this?

I have a question about FACTS. There has been increasing public debate over facts and, it seems, increased disregard for science. I’ve seen this at work and home. For example, my mother-in-law suggested that my wife and I buy a certain crib when our baby was born. When we showed her the crib had been proven to harm babies and was banned, she said, “Well that study is wrong.”

At work people continually speak of “learning styles” even though the initial study that forwarded the idea has been disproven. Again, facts and research will indicate one thing, but people will still rely on their gut feeling.

So, how do you hold a conversation with someone who refuses to acknowledge evidence related to the disagreement? I’m not referring to differences of opinions, but to disregarding facts or evidence. I can see how Seeking Mutual Purpose might help, but the debate over evidence still takes a lot of energy. Where should I start?

I have a son who is a terrible listener. He monopolizes the conversation. If I question a statement he has made, he becomes quite defensive and sometimes angry. He is very rigid in his thinking and beliefs. How would you suggest I handle this situation?

Dear Crucial Skills, What advice can you give to a group after someone popular has been let go and there is dissent and frustration? I am not permitted to share the reasons for the decision to let this employee go, and it wasn’t my decision to make, but how do I help my team deal …