Managing Difficult Interactions: Expert Solutions to Everyday Challenges

Mentor’s Message: Why Learn How to Manage Difficult Interactions?

Finding yourself in a prickly exchange or conversation is one of the unpleasant surprises of daily life in the workplace—whether it’s with your boss, a peer, an employee, or even a customer or supplier. We’re inclined to avoid these difficult interactions, just as we’re inclined to avoid other discomforts. And why not? Difficult interactions catalyze negative feelings such as frustration, annoyance, and anger. At those moments, our needs for safety, understanding, and effectiveness—among others—aren’t being met. But ignoring these exchanges often makes things worse. Unattended hostility and hurt—key features of a confrontation—can sap your energy, reduce team productivity, and ...