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Ardent Listener
Administrator
USA
4841 Posts |
 Posted - 12/31/2008 : 20:01:46
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How to keep a disagreement from becoming an argument:
Welcome the disagreement. Remember the slogan, "When two partners always agree, one of them is not necessary." If there is some points you haven't thought about, be thankful if it is brought to your attention. Perhaps this disagreement is your opportunity to be corrected before you make a serious mistake.
Distrust your first instinctive impression. Our first natural reaction is a disagreement situation is to be defensive. Be careful. Keep calm and watch your worst, not your best.
Control your temper. Remember, you can measure the size of a person by what makes him or her angry.
Listen first. Give your opponents a chance to talk. Let them finish. Do not resist, defend or debate. This only raises barriers. Try to build bridges of understanding. Don't build higher barriers of misunderstanding.
Look for areas of agreement. When you have heard your opponents out, dwell first on the points of areas on which you agree.
Be honest. Look for areas where you can admit error and say so. Apologize for your mistakes. It will help disarm your opponents and reduce defensiveness.
Promise to think over your opponent's ideas and study them carefully. And mean it. Your opponents may be right. It is a lot easier at this stage to agree to think about their points than to move rapidly ahead and find yourself in a position where your opponents say: "We tried to tell you, but you wouldn't listen."
Thank your opponents sincerely for their interest. Anyone who takes the time to disagree with you is interested in the same things you are. Think of them as people who really want to help you, and you may turn your opponents into friends.
Postpone action to give both sides time to think through the problem. Suggest that a new meeting be held later that day or the next day, when all the facts may be brought to bear. In preparation for this meeting, ask yourself some hard questions:
Could my opponents be right? Partly right? Is their truth or merit to their position or argument? Is my reaction one that will relieve the problem, or will it just relieve my frustration? Will my reaction elevate the estimation good people have of me? Will I win or lose? What price will I have to pay if I win? If I am quite about it, will the disagreement blow over? Is this difficult situation an opportunity for me?
From Bits and Pieces. published by The Economic Press. Fairfield.
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