What has been your experience with confrontations? When did you last initiate one?
Confronting someone for their behavior today is no easy feat, especially when emotions are easily triggered and opinions vary. When expectations are left unmet—including protocol infractions, civil disobedience, illegal behavior and everything in between—frustration, lack of accountability, and broken relationships become the norm. But those who foster positive confrontations can create win-win-win solutions.
If you’re like many of the people I speak with, you likely avoid confrontations. And I don’t blame you: we don’t want to make matters worse. But, when we say nothing, we perpetuate the problem (and in some cases, become co-conspirators.)
What if we could make a positive difference?
Most of us are not highly skilled in win-win-win confrontation. We feel stuck between a rock and a hard place. Instead, we can learn and practice positive confrontations: address the issue in a way that supports the well-being of self, others, and the relationship between the two.
In Summary
Confrontation is not always easy, but if you want to grow personally and professionally, you need to be willing and able. This article and Article Nuggets explore confrontation and accountability models and suggest best practices that create a win-win-win.
This is a brief synopsis of a 1,680-word article and 4-Article Nuggets*, suitable for consultants’ newsletters for executives and leaders in organizations. It is available for purchase with full reprint rights, which means you may put your name on it and use it in your newsletters, blogs or other marketing materials. You may also modify it and add your personal experiences and perspectives.
The complete article includes these important concepts:
- Calculating risks and rewards in confrontations
- Avoid the blame game
- Positive accountability
- Be aware of your stories
- Confrontation best practices for people-pleasers
- Confrontation in a virtual world
- Follow-up best practices
And references to the following sources:
- Markman, Art, PhD, “How to Have Difficult Conversations Virtually,” Harvard Business Review (July 2019)
- Patterson, Kerry, Joseph Grenny, Ron McMillan and Al Switzler, Crucial Accountability (McGraw-Hill Education, 2013)
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- Confrontations that Create a Win-Win-Win – 1,680-word Article, $57
- Confrontations that Create a Win-Win-Win– 4-Article Nuggets*, $64
*Article Nuggets: The same article broken up into 3-5 blog-style sections suitable for a series of blog posts or shorter newsletter articles.