The Management Tip of the Day from Harvard Business Review

 

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January 11, 2018 Having a Tough Conversation with a Coworker When You Both Hate Tough Conversations If you’re having a conflict with a coworker, talking about it together might help. But that can be tricky if the two of you tend to shy away from conflict. While both of you may prefer to do nothing, it’s dangerous if you end up tamping down feelings that could explode later on. One of you needs to take the lead — you might say to your colleague, “I know neither of us likes conflict, but instead of ignoring the problem, what can we do about it?” This will help to engage your colleague in the conversation. Then, do your best to draw the other person out in a sensitive, thoughtful way. If things get tough, don’t withdraw. You’ll need to fight your natural instinct to avoid conflict. Adapted from "How People with Different Conflict Styles Can Work Together," by Amy Gallo

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