You’re being judged every time you open your mouth. That judgment becomes even more pronounced when you’re speaking to upset, emotional people. Your credibility, in their eyes, is actually less about the content of the message you’re delivering than it is about you, the deliverer. People are judging who you are, how you feel about the situation, how you feel about them, whether or not you wear socks with sandals.

OK, I made that last one up, but you get the picture. You carry your character, or lack thereof, to every encounter. Here are some character traits that people are looking for. (And if you wear socks with sandals, I don’t want to know.)