You’re working from home due to the Coronavirus Pandemic and your co-worker just shot you a condescending and disrespectful reply to your latest communication. Angry, you’re tempted to shoot back the nastiest reply you can think of. But you know better and decide to calm down and think about it first. So you carefully craft a reply that you think is assertive but not too strong. Whoa, back comes an angry response that now they are really ticked off. What to do? Forward it to your supervisor? What’s going on here anyway?
We’re facing a brand new world of virtual communication. Deciding to stop the email barrage and walking two doors down to talk in person may not be an option in these times. So instead try some of these things:
- Check your perception, instead of getting defensive
- Use empathy, maybe they are having a bad day or maybe you did do something that made their work harder
- Use good problem solving skills, make a suggestion about what you would rather they have said, and solicit their input on how both of you can communicate better.
Sometimes it might feel like nothing works. Or maybe there has been a pattern and this is just a culmination. If so, it may be time to involve a neutral third party as a conflict coach to help ease the communications and put you back on the right road. Go to my website and call or email me today. I have helped numerous people finally find the words they need to get back on the right track. www.seattlebusinessmediation.com
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