September 24, 2006We See This Project Differently, and That’s Why I Believe We Can Learn From Each Other
Warren and his coworker had drastically different ideas about how the project should be managed, as creatives and technicals often do. Warren was ready for a fight and felt sure his coworker would be too, so he decided to communicate a goal that would preclude that. He opened the conversation by saying,
We see this project differently, and that’s why I believe we can learn from each other. I don’t agree with your approach on a number of issues, but I respect your expertise so I’d like for us to understand each other’s positions and see if we can create a vision for the project that incorporates both of our separate expertise.
When you anticipate hostility in a discussion, it’s often wise to speak first of the conversation itself and the desired goals. Of course Warren had to remain open to his coworker, but when he did, he found his coworker more open to him than he had anticipated.
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Need advice please…but how do you present this to your CEO? I’m new to the company and so is he. I don’t mean to sound rude but it seem like he wants to make his “mark” and turn the company around–he is getting pressure and thus so are we. And I don’t begrudge him that, it’s just his approach. He did not do it to my team, but he yelled at another team, telling them to “get on board or he would ask them to leave.” With my team, he is somewhat intimidating and is laying the blame at our feet–and since I’m new to the Co. & team, like I told my direct supevisor today, it is making me feel icky, when I have had no part of it–I’m just trying to do a good, accurate job now.
From my past success of Speaking Strong, I feel the need to call a meeting with him. And no offense to men or management but I feel that sometimes they don’t know how what they are doing is making others feel and creating the opposite reaction from what they want. I feel unsure about speaking out because I am feeling unsure about my place but at the same time he we are all humans! But I want to Speak Strong because I can’t stand all the litte gossips & complainers–I would rather say something, than do nothing!
Comment by Holly — November 9, 2007 @ 8:34 pm