See the other person's reality before deciding what to say, then finish one recipient-led rewrite that feels relevant, helpful, and free from pressure.
Prefer to be guided?Communication gets weaker when your attention collapses onto yourself. You start trying to perform, sound convincing, or get an outcome before you have understood the person in front of you.
What should I say or get?
How do I sound convincing?
How do I get the result I want?
Marc was shy, selling on the streets, and facing rejection again and again. His mentor moved his attention away from finding the perfect line and toward the person standing in front of him.
The important shift was internal. Marc stopped making the moment about his performance and began asking what the other person really wanted from him.
"Instead of just thinking about what to say all the time, think about what the other person really wants from you."
Second Positioning is the deliberate habit of stepping out of your own head and seeing the situation from the other person's point of view before you communicate.
Ask what the person is living through before deciding what they should hear.
Want what would genuinely help them, whether or not the answer benefits you.
Use the person's real words and let them correct your understanding.
Help them make a clear decision instead of pushing for the answer you want.
The same conversation can come from two very different places. The first asks how you can perform or get. The second asks what the person is experiencing and what would actually help.
What should I say or get?
What is this person living through, and what would genuinely help them now?
The mindset comes before these three steps, which turn it into a repeatable action when you have a real message, content draft, or important conversation in front of you.
Interrupt your usual pattern with a few breaths, a walk, or writing things down. Reset your intention toward curiosity, service, and the person's best interest.
Picture what the person may be thinking, feeling, fearing, hoping for, and dealing with right now. Use their exact words when you have them.
Read your version as if you were that person. Rate how relevant and helpful it feels from 0 to 10, then return to State and Ideate when it falls short.
Name what could matter to them, while clearly separating evidence from assumptions.
Name what may make them hesitate, then listen or ask when you do not know enough.
Do not use the rating as a substitute for sincere curiosity, listening, or service.
What are they worried about?
What would make their life or work easier?
What would success look like for them?
"So what I'm hearing is..." lets the person correct your understanding.
Read the version from the recipient's point of view. The number is a final gate after the mindset and listening work, not a shortcut around them.
If your version is under 8, return to State and Ideate, or get a second pair of eyes. The goal is a version that acknowledges the person's reality, helps them make sense of the situation, and makes the next step simple without pressure.
The original 2024 version used 7. The current standard is 8.
Each example changes what the communicator notices before changing what they say.
Stuart Tan asks about the audience's goals, challenges, questions, and problems, then shapes the presentation around what they say.
Read the content as someone unfamiliar, overwhelmed, and unsure whether it makes sense. If it does not feel clear from their side, the work is not ready.
A doctor understands the situation before recommending an answer. Detachment means accepting that the best answer may not benefit you.
This is the finished shape the AI Implementation Toolkit helps you produce from one real message, content draft, or conversation plan.
One real situation, seven clear fields, and one planned use within 24 hours.
Name who you are communicating with and what is happening now.
Capture the original question or draft without cleaning it up first.
"How do I create a successful book launch?"
Shift the intention from performing or getting toward curiosity and service.
Name three to five of each, use real words where available, and flag assumptions clearly.
Shape the question or message from the recipient's point of view.
"What would make someone more likely to buy my book?"
Rate the version from 0 to 10. Return to State and Ideate when it is under 8.
Confirm that the version acknowledges their reality, helps them make sense of the situation, and makes the next step simple without pressure.
The work is complete when your attention has moved beyond your own performance and the communication is ready from the recipient's point of view.
1You chose one real message, content draft, or conversation plan.
2You completed one recipient-led rewrite through State, Ideate, and Evaluate.
3You rated it at least 8 out of 10 from the recipient's point of view.
4You named one clear use within the next 24 hours.
Curiosity, service, listening, and detachment shape the quality of everything that follows.
Use what the person has actually said, and ask when you do not know enough.
State changes the intention, Ideate widens your view, and Evaluate checks the version from their side.
A strong final version helps the person feel seen and free to make a clear decision.
The page teaches Second Positioning, while the AI Implementation Toolkit guides you through one real situation, flags assumptions, and helps you reach a recipient-view rating of at least 8 out of 10.