Are you AVOIDING a difficult conversation that you know you NEED to have?
I think we ALL have a tendency to shy away from CONFRONTATION. (I know I do!)
But POSTPONING the inevitable doesn’t make it go away…does it?
In fact, when we continue to SMILE and ACT like things are alright, then the whole thing begins to FESTER inside us.
I Have My Reasons!
We probably have valid REASONS to be anxious.
- Most of us don’t enjoy CONFLICT.
- We’re worried that we might HURT somebody’s FEELINGS.
- Then there’s UNCERTAINTY about how that person may REACT to our comments.
DREAD hanging over our head only makes the situation WORSE!
The Bible says, “Wounds from a sincere friend are better than many kisses from an enemy.” Proverbs 27:6 (NLT)
We Are FAM-I-L-Y
I admit, my leadership STYLE leans more toward a “corporate family” vibe.
However, for an organization to be productive there has to be a BALANCE.
Otherwise, we’ll sidestep every CRITICAL discussion just to keep from OFFENDING someone we genuinely LOVE.
Timing Is Everything
Whether it’s corporately or at home, we can’t continue to PUT OFF that conversation we KNOW we need to have.
Remember to:
- Address SMALL things before they have a chance to become mountains.
- Speak privately. No need to EMBARRASS the person in front of others.
- Minimize the “finger-pointing” and just FIX the PROBLEM.
Like the precision of a surgeon, perfect TIMING and skilled DIPLOMACY can cut out a bad situation and quickly HEAL any wounds.
This was for me, thank you PastorNicole.
No one likes confrontation but it is sometimes necessary. I have found it better to address things than to wait even though it can be hard. : (