Fight Nicely

Disagreements are a part of life and sometimes we allow disagreements to create a rift between people that really should be on one united front.  For example, the mother and father may disagree with how to reprimand a child.  Or a team of managers can't agree on business priorities, not to mention how to achieve them. As a result of both of these scenarios, anger, distrust, and division sets in. 

Not only that, but these types of issues can and will create unnecessary, emotional baggage.  So as a result of disagreeing about how long little Princess Daughter should be on punishment, now mom and dad are not on speaking terms.  Or since the team couldn't agree, now's there's a feeling of disloyalty among what used to be a strong cohesive team.  Just that quickly, something has divided what should be united.  

In retrospect, you have to ask yourself was it worth it.  Was the argument really worth losing out on time that could have been used to interact and bond with the one you love?  Did the time you spent working in a tension filled environment and distrusting your peers produce any positive results? More than likely not.

It is important that we learn how to disagree so that unity isn't impacted.  

Here are three critical skills to use:

1. Always address issues and not the individual.  Meaning, discuss the situation in a constructive format that will not put the others in a defensive mode.
2. Listen to their point of view.  Really listen to what they are saying and try to understand their perspective. Having an open mind will assist with that.
3. Write down the pros and cons of each perspective so that the resolve can be as objective as possible. 

Your Life Empowered Moment is this Fight Nicely!