Land Mines

How many times have you been having a normal conversation with someone and all of a sudden (you still don’t know why!) they blow up at something you just said?

You didn’t even see it coming.

Thrown completely off guard, you immediately start saying things to calm the person down – but you’re just shooting in the dark.

Chances are the person has behaved that same way before. If you take some time to think about it, you should be able to see the pattern in their behavior – and also recognize how you consistently react to it.

Plan to handle it differently the next time around.

Resist trying to manage the situation. Since you don’t really know what happened, you don’t know the remedy.

However, you can manage you. Breathe. Stay steady. Give yourself a moment to recover from the shock. Listen to what they’re telling you, and try to address what they are experiencing.

Reach out to them and ask something like, “What can I do to help you with this right now?”  Let them take the responsibility for letting you know what’s on their mind.

I’ll have more to say about land mines in the future, but for now, allow these suggestions roll around in your thoughts.

I believe you will be able to figure a few things out.

DrK 

If you'd like to know more about how to navigate land mines, contact me at confidentconflict.com for a complimentary conversation!  
"12 Ways to Rule in Conflict" Free Download