Sometimes the only way to truly bridge a gap is to lay it all out there: good, bad, and ugly. Clear the air. Say what you have to say. But then agree that you’re willing to recommit to making it work.
Some might say in a professional environment this level of honesty isn’t necessary (or professional) but I disagree. It’s better to know how someone feels than to try to read their mind and guess. Or worse write a story in your head that just isn’t true. If you’re a true professional you should be able and willing to handle the feedback.
I don’t think screaming and yelling names is the appropriate path to take either. And communicating how you feel while also being respectful is still very important. But sometimes the only way to make real progress is to be brutally honest and share your true feelings. Clear the bs out of the way and get to the root of the problem.
And remember that the bottom line is that both parties care deeply about what’s going on. Passion is usually at the heart of tough times. If one or both sides aren’t meeting high standards and expectations it can over time turn into pointing fingers and ineffective problem solving. Putting bandaids over gaping wounds instead of addressing the real causes.
I’m being vague. But if you’ve got a problem that isn’t going away it’s probably worth setting aside some time to really work through everything that has built up and really hearing the thoughts and feelings of the other party, which might surprise you, and then committing to working through it together.
If it nags it lags until you address it.
Thanks for reading.
