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5 Steps for Resolving Workplace Disputes

You don't have to be best buddies with everyone you work with. But you do have to work together to get things done, sometimes with people whose personalities clash with your own. As Leila Bulling Towne points out in this new BNET video, personality clashes get in the way of business and ignoring the problem won't make it go away. She suggests five steps for overcoming office personality clashes:
  1. Own it -- Don't just blame the other person; realize that you're part of the problem as well as the solution.
  2. Use the first person -- Use the first persona singular (the "I") to take ownership and put forward ideas like, "I think we're struggling to work effectively."
  3. Find common ground -- Ask yourself and your workmate about what's working in your relationship, and what are some of the key strengths each of you brings to the table.
  4. Express your needs -- Tactfully explain what your work needs are.
  5. Listen -- Sit back and listen to the other side of the story; zip your lip!
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