In your continuous efforts to maintain an atmosphere of cooperation and respect, how you resolve conflicts efficiently has been paramount. It’s intriguing how a single well-phrased question can often uncover the heart of the matter, leading to easy resolutions. 

Are you ready to explore this question and how it can help you as a Department Manager or Leader to de-escalate conflicts with your direct reports or even for you?

A Powerful Question that Changed the Way I Resolve Conflicts

A Department Manager invited me to speak to her department about Kicking Conflict to the Curb™. I interviewed a few people before the program to customize the session. They shared solid information on what they wanted to learn.

The opening story was one that I shared during numerous facilitation programs.  Audiences related to it and usually reacted with either smiles or quiet laughter.  Not this time. No one reacted!

A few minutes later, I asked them to divide into groups of 3 to discuss case scenarios that their peers shared in the pre-interviews. No one stood up, and they just stared at me.

Yikes! What was going on? Self-doubt started creeping into my mind. What was I doing wrong? The session ended, and I approached my client to discuss the program. She smiled and said, “Joyce, your content was great. I forgot to tell you that they had a two-hour cocktail party before your session.”

This was the beginning of my transition from a keynote speaker to a group facilitator. I learned a huge lesson from that experience.

The question that I learned was – What Don’t I Know?  This one question could have changed the entire training if I assertively asked the group, “What don’t I know?” They would have told me that they needed a nap. 😉 It had nothing to do with the content or my skills. 

The Power of What Don’t I Know to Resolve Conflicts

Think about your own conflicts and how you could use “What Don’t I Know” to stop assumptions or conflict from escalating even more. This one question gives you information that you probably didn’t think about.

It’s intriguing how a single well-phrased question can often uncover the heart of the matter, leading to resolutions that were once elusive. 

The great news is that I’ve learned how to stop any process that isn’t going well and ask, “What don’t I know?” Believe me; it has been a lifesaver during training and even with my family! 🙂

Clients discover numerous questions to ask, so they resolve conflicts and drama with their teams. They work like a charm when we add them to our toolbox and implement them.

Do you want to discover how your direct reports feel about communication in your organization? I will send you a survey to use with your team to keep them engaged. 

How do you know if this is for you? This is for you if you want to engage others to speak openly. Plus, you find the answers to “What don’t I know?” 

Reply to this mail and write “What don’t I know” in the subject line so you can Kick Conflict to the Curb™!

Who is Joyce Weiss?

Joyce is the Queen of Conflict Resolution and works with HR Pros or with their company’s growth-minded individuals directly. Who are tired of feeling invisible and overlooked. And are ready to confidently use their voice – without losing their cool.

They transform from no longer feeling invisible to having their input recognized and respected.

Joyce’s magic sauce in engaging participation is that she combines her 30 years as a storyteller, coach, and facilitator.

Reply to this email and write “What don’t I know?” in the subject line to receive your Survey to Help Your Team Feel Included.

Have a GREAT Week!
And Remember, You Get What YOU Tolerate! 

Joyce Weiss, M.A., CSP, CVP
Communication Coach and Queen of Conflict Resolution