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What to Do When You Encounter Resistance: A 10-Point Guide
- Stay Calm and Analyse: Before reacting, take a moment to breathe and understand the root cause of the resistance. Is it fear, misunderstanding, or genuine disagreement?
- Open a Dialogue: Instead of avoiding or confronting, initiate a conversation. Ask open-ended questions to understand the perspectives of those resisting.
- Empathize and Listen: Put yourself in the other person's shoes. Active listening without interrupting will not only provide insights but will also show respect.
- Provide Information: Sometimes resistance is due to a lack of understanding. Offer data, evidence, or context that might shed light on the issue at hand.
- Seek Feedback: Ask for feedback on your approach, proposal, or idea. There may be angles or aspects you haven't considered.
- Find Common Ground: Identify areas of agreement or shared objectives. Building on these will help in bridging the differences.
- Be Flexible: Resistance might indicate that there's a need for adjustments. Be open to compromise or to trying a different tactic.
- Choose Your Battles: Not all resistance needs to be tackled head-on. Sometimes it's more strategic to let small issues go in favour of bigger wins.
- Involve Others: Bring in a mediator or a neutral third party if needed. Sometimes an external perspective can help bridge the divide.
- Reflect and Learn: After the situation is resolved, take some time to reflect on what went well, what didn’t, and how you can better approach resistance in the future. Continuous learning will help you handle similar situations more effectively.
To read more about Jonathan Frost please visit beyondiq.uk, or call +44 (0)7963 501826.
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