Getting over Conflict Avoidance – Part 1

We don’t want to be seen as a person who backs down from a fight. Yet, we often avoid saying the hard things because we don’t want to make waves. Suit up. This is business. Conflict is what leaders do.

Notice when you are avoiding conflict

It’s hard to change a behavior in yourself without being aware of the behavior at a conscious level. This means the first step is going to be gaining personal awareness. To accomplish this set aside some time daily for self-reflection.

Take a few minutes on your commute home. Thinking back to your day, are you aware of any time you avoided engaging where you should have? Would an outside observer have a different opinion of your interactions? If you find that you’ve avoided conflict, it’s important not to scold yourself over it. You are giving yourself feedback here. It’s not about the past, it’s about the future. Note the occurrence, and commit to a plan to do it differently next time.