Five Smooth Tactics To Neutralize Conflicts & Enhance Communication

Using active listening through a spat is the first move you can take to mitigate the situation and crack whatever problems have surfaced. Realize, nonetheless, that when people feel strongly about an issue, their emotions will impact their ability to correspond and listen. It is imperative therefore to utilize a blend of active and reflective listening skills. Here are five methods you can use to defuse conflicts and enhance effective communication.

1. Condemn the issue or behavior, not the person. By dealing with the issue or the behavior, you evade attacking the other person. If you are “arguing” with your teen about a curfew, stick to the issue of the curfew or to his actions of breaching curfew. Don’t scour up all of his past blunders or chastise him a “crazy kid who can’t do anything right.” That is attacking the person. It will harm his self-esteem and will only create barriers. Listen to what he has to share and keep him on track if he wanders from the issue. Persist with active listening even if he other person does not. Your liberality with active listening will help soothe a potentially damaging situation.

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