If you are on a team, sooner or later you will come up against an issue that needs to be confronted. A team member may have thrown you under the bus in a meeting. Someone may have passed the buck your way. The credit for a team win may have gone to the team member with least input. There are a thousand different scenarios that play out in organizations each day that have the potential for confrontation.
Before you exit your office for that crucial conversation, consider the following question…
Is this about personal pride or potential productivity for the overall organization?
At times, these two categories can seem like one in the same. However, when you examine your motives closely you are often likely to figure out which label is a better fit.
A lot of time is spent confronting people out of personal pride. You were called out in front of others, your pride was hurt, and now you are ready to confront. Even though your pride may be injured, consider the truth in the offense. Was the other person right? If they were right, then no matter if your feelings were hurt or not, you were wrong. Don’t confront the other person. Look at your own performance. Get past the emotion. Grow from the experience. Determine to never put yourself in that position again.
If potential productivity is at stake, then you have a reason to confront. If the issue is larger than you, but effects the organization and its ability to accomplish the mission then it needs to be addressed. When you go about confronting the other person speak in terms of the organization, not personal offense. This will cause your words to carry more weight for the person hearing them.
You are going to be offended if you are a leader. Whether or not you should respond to the offense is a matter of pride vs. productivity.
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