​Ep 6: Conflict vs. A Need for Clarification
I talk about the difference between actual conflict and the simple need for clarification over a difference of opinion, how to determine which type of situation you’re facing, and how to face it directly. This is the second episode of four on the theme of retail management communication; it was preceded by an episode on the dangers of asking employees for favors and will be followed by episodes on the dangers of thinking out loud, and minimizing feelings of overwhelm.

In this episode:
  • I discuss the fears and feelings that can arise when preparing for a direct conversation
  • How reminding myself that there is no conflict helps me to prepare for these conversations
  • The difference between conflict and clarification
  • Types of conflict that can exist in the workplace and how to determine if a conflict really exists
  • The steps for direct communication: be direct, clarify, investigate
  • Some of the things you can do to clarify where differences of opinion and style are arising from
  • Putting together a list of questions to better understand where the differences are coming from