Spencer: Jeff, you need to accept responsibility for your own performance and not push blame onto others. You need to meet your goals this coming quarter or I will have to take more serious action.
Jeff: One bad quarter, and you threaten to fire me? I can’t believe this!
Spencer: Just meet all of your goals, and I won’t have to take that action.
Give this vignette, what could Spencer have done to combat Jeff’s defensiveness more effectively?