Dealing with Difficult Situations

Despite organisations moving towards a more collborative style, leaders and managers must still be prepared to deal with difficult situations. Dealing with people problems, enforcing unpopular policies and managing issues of potential conflict are all likely to be part of the job. So how can you ensure that you deal with difficult issues in a way that keeps you and others OK?

Here are a 5 tips that may help:

1. Put yourself in their shoes - seeing issues from the other person's perspective can help you gain insights that will help you frame and communicate in the most appropriate way.

2. Ensure that you keep yourself in an I'm OK, You're OK place. Ask yourself, how can I deal with this issue in a way that is respectful of me and others?

3. Remember that avoiding saying or doing what is necessary can often be counter-productive. You may end up rescuing or smothering people who have the capacity and the responsibility to deal with the issues themselves.

4. Make sure that you are in a resourceful state when you make and communicate your decisions. You need to be taking good account of what is needed whilst also being aware of your emotional needs.

5. Get support. Find a valued friend, colleague or coach to help you think things through. Having someone to challenge and encourage you can be very powerful in helping to get things into perspective.