Conflict isn’t necessarily a bad thing. In fact, differences of opinion often foster open communication and change. It doesn’t matter if it’s in a family, friendship, church, or workplace; disagreements will happen. Follow these steps to handle a difference of opinion with someone you know:
Speak face to face
Tone of voice, facial expression and other nonverbal cues are lost in email. Talk in person first then follow up with an email, memo or letter.
Meet in a neutral place
Try a conference room at the office, a public park or the coffee shop down the street. Talking in a different atmosphere encourages candidness and honesty.
Clarify the problem
- Realize that there is great potential to learn from each other’s mistakes
- Sharing your feelings isn’t just a touchy-feely exercise, it actually can disarm any defensive and hostile walls that are a barrier to good communication
- Find common ground and go from there
