Possible Answers
Assess the situation – Think before you act. Get all the facts and start with a plan, even if it is sketchy.
Meet the difficult behaviour head-on – Don’t bury your head in the sand. This has happened and you must deal with it.
Stay calm and objective – Getting emotional will only make matters worse and you may say things you’ll regret. Watch for words like but, never, always and should. There is no point in waving a red flag in anyone’s face. Those kinds of words can inflame the situation rather than contribute to problem solving.
Be upfront with the individual – The longer you wait, the more difficult things become. Say what needs to be said.
Make this a two-way conversation – Make sure that the other individual gets a chance to have their say as well. Give them that chance earlier rather than later. Then you may have more facts. They may even say some of the things you wanted to say, but felt uncomfortable saying.
Try to put yourself in their place and look at the situation from their point of view – You need to put yourself in their shoes to see how they are looking at the problem and to have any chance of understanding it, let alone resolving it.
Flexibility – This is a useful tool, so use it! Treat this as a learning experience and accept that this conflict may change the way you see or do things. That’s okay.
Be tolerant – What a dull world it would be if we were all the same! It may not be your way, but that doesn’t make it a wrong way.
