Confronting is not my favorite pastime. In fact, I am notorious for complaining about situations to the wrong people. As a child, instead of confronting my friends, I would complain to my mother about them. One day, she jolted me back into reality when she said, "Heather, do you like any of your friends?" Of course I liked them... I loved them! Unfortunately, my fear of conflict and my accommodator and abdicator tendencies prevented me from addressing the right people. Have you ever practiced confrontation (or perhaps telling someone off) in the bathroom mirror only to lose your nerve and … [Read more...]

We all have different ways of dealing with conflict. Some of us like to attack it head on (possibly even enjoying it a little). Some of us do whatever it takes to keep the offending party happy, possibly even giving into the myth that ignoring problems is good and noble. Some of us just run away. When the going gets tough, these folks get going... in the opposite direction. And then, there are some of us who choose to work together to find a happy solution for all. Deborah Smith Pegues dedicates a chapter in her book, Confronting Without Offending, to each of these conflict management … [Read more...]