7 Ways to Use Conscious Communication to Minimize Conflict
All day long you compose emails, send texts, lead meetings, contribute to conference calls, debate with your colleagues, connect with clients or other departments…the list goes on.
We can spend the majority of our day communicating. Whenever two or more people are in communication, there is the opportunity for conflict i.e. differences of perspective, opinions or ideas, to bloom. We have been taught that conflict is bad. Yet I have had a different experience. I realize that when there is tension/conflict of thought, there is an opportunity for new ideas to be created. How do we be with the tension that arises in recurring conflict long enough to let new ideas flourish and thus improve our productivity?
Let’s communicate and listen for clarity and understanding.
Are people hearing what you are REALLY saying? Consider these tips to deliver clear, communication.
- Create an atmosphere for diverse thinking. Explain your thinking and ask them to explain theirs in the following ways:
- Determine the facts. Share your view objectively; FACT-full and free from blame, shame or guilt, opinions and assumptions.
- Listen to understand their needs and intention whether you agree or not.
- Ask lots of questions. Set your intention to seek to understand before making statements.
- Keep your speaking brief: 30 to 60 seconds.
- Learn from the difference in perspectives or ideas; ask them what facts they see that you don’t and share which facts you see that they don’t.
- Decide on how to turn your facts (that may have started as complaints) into requests for action.
If you would like to learn more about conscious communication techniques, please reach out to us. We provide senior leaders and middle managers with leadership and communication skills training.
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