Navigating Emotional Landmines
You'll never avoid emotions while working with humans, but you can learn to navigate them. (Image ironically generated with AI)
You are never going to navigate every conversation perfectly and avoid all the emotional landmines that come with working with others, which is why I like to share my best tools for cleaning up the mess should you step on one of these emotional landmines.
As with all scenarios where we say or do something that doesn’t go as expected, communication is always key. If you aren’t sure how to start, I always recommend coming from a place of learning and openness. What you say is up to you, but there are two quick ways to engage in a positive conversation with a growth mindset:
Ask a question with a genuine intent to learn.
Start with an apology.
I lied, there’s a third… combine both 1 and 2.
We all know what an apology is, but what is a “genuine intent to learn”? The easiest way to explain is to share an example of the opposite; snark. Snarky questions are NOT an example of a question with a genuine intent to learn.
“Why do YOU get to have all the snacks before bedtime YOU want?” my oldest asks as he catches me in the pantry after I’ve sent him upstairs to brush his teeth. (Legit question, kid. Because I am doing a better job of keeping you healthy than I am myself… but that’s another blog.)
My youngest takes a different approach; “Mom, why do you tell us we can’t have snacks and then eat snacks yourself?” (That second child hits differently.)
Guess which child successfully revised my snack policy? If you guessed the younger child, you’d be correct, because he approached me with a question that disarmed me and didn’t double down on an already frustrated mother. While the context is different, the packaging is the same. Skip the snark.
If you need to clean up a mess from a misstep, have the conversation. I promise you’ll learn something.
Did I Miss Something? I often write with my own life experiences and my family dynamics in mind, but you are always in my heart. If you have perspectives to share, or would like to add your own thoughts to navigating equality in the workplace, please reach out to me at ChrissieMeasamer@gmail.com. I would love to have you as a guest blogger or interview you for an upcoming piece.
