It’s almost inevitable that sometime (or a few times) during your business career, you’re going to get into a toxic situation with another person that saps your energy, depresses you, and distresses you more than you would have thought possible. It might be a conflict with a boss, a partner, a colleague, a customer, a spouse – any relationship really.
The prize up for grabs in these wars is usually around (in order of priority):
- Ego
- Power
- Money
- Love (this one is mostly in family business, i.e. ‘does dad really love me?’)
There are no easy solutions to the blood lettings that go on in these situations that often neither party wants. But if you agree with me that we are alive, in part, to grow and mature as people, you’ll want to keep this maxim in mind:
Maturity is being able to see things from the other person’s point of view
Before you get out your gun, make sure you understand and consider, and can concisely and generously state the other person’s position in full.
