Geese, I’m having trouble letting go of a comment someone made that is really bothering me. It happened here at work and I’m not sure if I should simply let it go or say something to the person. Is there a general rule on this kind of stuff that can be applied here? -To Go to Battle or Not
Dear To Go to Battle or Not,
Thanks for your question.
Here are some questions to ask yourself about whether or not to confront another employee (taken from my article, Eight Simple Rules to Resolving Conflict and Improving Relationships…available on this website. Also, feel free to add the word “potential” in front of the word “conflict” below if conflict feels too strong a word at this point.
Ask Yourself:
1. Is the conflict with a person that matters to me, either professionally or personally?
2. Is the conflict with a person that I will come into contact with again?
3. Does my relationship with this person impact others? If so, could it negatively impact others if this is not resolved?
4. Is this conflict creating stress and discomfort for me?
5. If I don’t resolve the issue, could it surface again at a later time?
6. Would I be sending mixed messages to those around me if I choose to not address the conflict?
7. If I don’t resolve the conflict, would I be tempted to: a) think less of the person; and b) share my frustrations about this person with others?
If you answered “Yes” to two or more questions, my advice would be to address the issue head-on with this person. In future blogs, I’ll spell how to do that. In the meantime, set up an appointment with me and we can go over it now.
-Geese
