06/15/2023
Today, I led a workshop on Conflict Communication and how to have more confidence in challenging communication moments.
Moments like giving feedback, advocating for ourselves, promoting our work, defending ideas or decisions, speaking up when someone takes credit for your idea.
Moments that shouldn’t feel confrontational but do if you’re in a workplace or social space where you don’t feel seen, safe, and supported.
So much of avoiding confrontation, challenging conversations or conflict comes down to fearing how we’ll be perceived.
Fear of saying the wrong thing, seaming inflexible, being unliked, judged, or excluded.
This is even more intense if your identities don’t align with the dominant default (white cis straight male “strong”).
Together, we built formulas and frameworks to create structure in spontaneous speaking moments so participants could relax and focus on what they want to say instead of how we’ll be perceived.
There’s no one right way to give feedback but I find having a structure - any structure - helps.
That’s why I use systems thinking to create structure in spontaneous speaking moments. The strength of the structure allows me to bring warmth to a moment that might otherwise feel contentious and I can begin to feel more comfortable.
I also use structure in this way when facilitating meetings or presenting. Staying high-level helps me focus on my intention instead of over-prioritizing how I’m being perceived.
What helps you focus when giving feedback, articulating roadblocks, or setting boundaries at work?