When you run a business, you have to be able to communicate with your employees and coworkers. This is especially true when you have disagreements with them.
However, many times the way people communicate in the workplace can lead to conflict rather than collaboration. Here are some tips for resolving those arguments:
Listen to the other person.
Listen to the other person.
You can’t solve an argument if you don’t understand each other’s point of view. Listen carefully and ask questions to clarify, repeating back what they’ve said.
So that there’s no confusion about where both parties stand on an issue. If someone is upset or angry, show them that you’re listening by nodding your head or saying “uh-huh” or “I see.”
Avoid any kind of blaming or shaming.
As a business owner, you are the leader of your company. That means that you are responsible for keeping the peace and fostering an environment where employees can thrive.
As such, it’s important that you never blame or shame your team members when they make mistakes or do something wrong. Blaming and shaming will not help anyone.
It will only create tension in the office and make it harder for everyone to get along well with each other. Your goal should be to encourage positive behavior instead of punishing negative behavior.
By making people feel bad about themselves when they’ve done poorly in some way (or even if they haven’t).
Don’t bring up past mistakes that have been made.
You’re not going to be able to fix the argument if you keep bringing up past mistakes. If they’ve made a mistake before, it’s not going to help anything if you bring that up again.
Instead of trying to correct the mistake by bringing it back into the conversation, focus on moving forward and making sure that everyone is working together as a team.
Make sure you’re clear on what you’re upset about.
- Be specific.
- Make sure you know the facts of the situation.
- If you are wrong, admit it and apologize (even if it’s not your fault).
- If you are right and someone else made a mistake, explain why they were wrong and how to fix it for next time so that everyone can learn from their mistakes in future situations where similar issues arise.
Give them time to think about what you’ve said and respond accordingly.
- Give them time to think about what you’ve said and respond accordingly.
- Don’t rush them into making a decision.
- Set a deadline for when they need to respond by, so that both of you know what’s going on in the meantime.
Explain why their behavior is a problem and how they can fix it in the future.
When you’re explaining why their behavior is a problem and how they can fix it in the future, make sure to give them examples of how they can fix it.
Asking questions like “What do you think?” or “How would you handle this situation differently?” will help keep the conversation going.
After explaining why their behavior was a problem and how they can fix it in the future, give them some time to think about what you’ve said before responding accordingly.
If someone is still having trouble understanding your point of view after being given all these details and examples, consider bringing in another person who knows both parties well enough that they could mediate between them (if possible).
Communication is key when addressing problems with your employees
- Listen to the other person.
- Avoid any kind of blaming or shaming.
- Don’t bring up past mistakes that have been made by the employee, even if they were very serious.
- Make sure you’re clear on what you’re upset about, and stick to it throughout your conversation with them (don’t change your mind halfway through).
- Give them time to think about what you’ve said and respond accordingly
Conclusion
In the end, it’s important to remember that the goal of these conversations is to improve your working relationship with your employees and not just “win.” If you can keep this in mind while communicating with them, then hopefully you’ll find yourself having fewer arguments in the future!
