4 Tips for Responding to Problems
At the base of responding to problems is the need to communicate effectively, both to understand and resolve conflict.
“Communication makes the world go round. It facilitates human connections, and allows us to learn, grow, and progress. It’s not just about speaking or reading, but understanding what is being said—and in some cases, what is not being said.”
Richard Branson
Here are four tips that can help you resolve problems quicker and better.
1. Stop. Don’t react. Instead, respond.
Consider what story you’re telling yourself. You may feel like your perspective is the only correct one, especially if you experienced the situation and know firsthand what happened. However, it’s common for many people to experience the same event and all tell different versions of the events based on their perspective and life experiences. Step back and try to see the issue from the other person’s perspective. Cool down if you’re upset. Re-read the comment if it’s in writing to make sure you haven’t misunderstood. Think about what choices you have when it comes to your response.
2. Show respect to the other person.
Make communicating a priority. Show the person who is speaking to you that you care about what he or she is saying. Stop what you are doing to listen. Make eye contact, allow the person to finish their thoughts before you speak.
However, if you’re looking for some really great communication advice, Celeste Headlee from TEDxCreativeCoast says to stop worrying about the list of listening skills you should acquire. “There is no reason to learn how to show you’re paying attention if you are in fact paying attention.” So listen. The other person will see that you care about what they are saying.
3. Jot down key thoughts or phrases that you want to respond to.
“The biggest communication problem is we do not listen to understand. We listen to reply.”
Stephen R. Covey
When you are listening, it can be tempting to start thinking about how you will respond. If you have trouble listening without planning how you are going to respond, write down notes so you can listen first. After the person is done speaking, you can refer to your notes to remember the items you want to talk about. Don’t let note taking get in the way of you listening. You may want to let the person know you are just jotting down notes of their concerns so you can remember to address them all.
4. Practice communicating.
People don’t just wake up one morning with the ability to deal with conflict. They learn communication skills and practice them.
“Communication is a skill that you can learn. It’s like riding a bicycle or typing. If you’re willing to work at it, you can rapidly improve the quality of every part of your life.”
Brian Tracy, Business Author
As you learn to communicate, you will also become better at resolving conflicts.
Share in the comments below what you feel like helps you most when responding to problems.