Have you noticed how quickly bad attitudes can spread through a team? They seem far more contagious than good attitudes. And there’s a reason for this. Our brains are ‘wired’ to pick up emotions – in particular, emotions which signal something is wrong. Negativity is one of those emotions. But there are steps you can take to prevent yourself catching a team mate’s bad attitude.
Focussing on the issue rather than the person is a good start to resolving conflict. Here are some tips for doing this.
More ‘I’, less ‘You’
Sentences which start with ‘you’ often sound like an attack. Reframe sentences into ‘I’ statements to make them less personal and accusing. Say ‘I feel angry when meetings start late’. Avoid saying ‘you are always late’ or ‘I’m angry because you are late’ (a ‘you’ sentence thinly disguised).
If your team is constantly in conflict, it’s time to take action. Here are my tips for improving your team relationships.
Have you ever worked in a team full of complaining or negative people? If you have, you know the impact negative language can have on team relationships. Great teams speak positively. Here are some tips on how to follow this example.
If your team has low morale or toxic dynamics, the root problem may be relationships and behaviours. Here are three steps you can take to detox team dynamics and get your team back on track.
Deal with even the most challenging negotiations by using these simple but effective verbal strategies.
Do you work with someone whose reasoning defies logic? Does your boss go off the deep end at the slightest thing? Is a client driving you to distraction with unreasonable demands? You can learn to deal with people who are driven by emotions rather than logic. Here are four things to keep in mind.
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