StaffScapes, Colorado PEO, Discusses Overcoming Fear of Confrontation

Scenario: You just landed your first leadership position at a new company, and you are still learning the ropes. During your second week on the job, a member of your team approaches you with an uncomfortable issue that your job description requires you to address. However, the last thing you want to do is initiate a confrontation that you don’t feel confident handling during your second week. What do you do?

 

In every career sector, employees are desperate for courageous leaders who give honest feedback when asked and take care of workplace situations efficiently. However, the fear of confrontation often renders many potential heroes hopeless.

 

StaffScapes, a Denver PEO, takes on the responsibilities of an organization’s HR department and continues to stay up to date with employment best practices. One of these practices includes training business leaders to overcome the fear of confrontation.

 

StaffScapes details three focused steps that will assist in building bravery skills and transforming difficult discussions for leaders into empowering conversations, below:

 

Step 1: Reflect on What You Want to Say

Identify what kind of problem you have on your hands. Take out a piece of paper and write down the issue along with what you want to communicate in attempts to resolve the matter. Read over your initial thoughts, and reflect on your language and tone. You are more likely to settle the situation if your approach and demeanor are non-threatening to the other party.

 

After reflecting on what you wrote, stow your paper away along with any additional thoughts surrounding the affair, and go about your business. Come back to your document later in the day and reflect again on what you wrote. You might find yourself making changes, or feeling more confident about what you wrote. This practice of temporary mental absence will help you shake any unwanted influential emotions that might have ignited when the problem arose.

 

Step 2: Be the First to Speak

As a leader who is in control of addressing conflict, take advantage of speaking first. When you initiate the conversation, it allows you to set the tone for the meeting and forces the individual you are conversing with to first listen, and then respond to your message. Approach the exchange confidently and calmly.

 

Step 3: Always Say “I” Instead of “You”

When delivering your side of the discussion, refrain from using the pronoun “you” and stick to “I” statements. Great communicators will never lead a conversation with a finger pointed at the other person. Rather than saying, “You continue to cause multiple disruptions during work hours, and there is more than one complaint that has been filed against you,” consider this replacement: “As your manager, I am responsible for my team and my team’s actions. I have been approached about certain actions that have taken place in the office that need to be addressed. What can I do to help bring success and happiness into the work environment to eliminate conflict?”

 

 

About StaffScapes:

StaffScapes is a great resource to utilize if you are a business owner looking to outsource your Human Resource work to an experienced partner who simplifies one of the most complex and demanding areas of business. StaffScapes says, “Our approach starts with People because employees are the lifeblood of your organization. They are what makes everything tick. They are the most important yet most challenging assets you have. Our PEO services will help your company incorporate the best HR practices, such as pay, benefits, growth opportunities, and safety, to make your organization the ‘Employer of Choice.'”

 

 

Alex
 

Alex is a small business blogger with a focus on entrepreneurship and growth. With over 5 years of experience covering the startup and small business landscape, Alex has a reputation for being a knowledgeable, approachable and entrepreneurial-minded blogger. He has a keen understanding of the challenges and opportunities facing small business owners, and is able to provide actionable advice and strategies for success. Alex has interviewed successful entrepreneurs, and covered major small business events such as the Small Business Expo and the Inc. 500|5000 conference. He is also a successful entrepreneur himself, having started and grown several small businesses in different industries.