Confrontation 101: Which Path Will You Take?

To Confront: “To face; To bring face to face with.”

The very thought of confrontation often causes fear within us. We are afraid of how the other person will respond; we fear that they may not like us or that their ego may be damaged during the interaction.

When another’s behavior is unacceptable or is preventing our needs from being met, the fear of confrontation can result in some devastating consequences. Resentment can build between you and the other person. In business, this can result in distraction or loss in productivity.

In order to be successful, we must first acknowledge that confrontation is a request for change, a request that our needs be met.  This in itself has the potential to harbor some element of threat, and will require an equal amount of courage on our part. But, a conflict of needs can result in a win-win situation and how to do that can be learned through leadership training.

This infographic outlines two very different approaches to confrontation. Which will you choose the next time your needs are not being met?