I wanted to do a Life Coaching blog today as I have been working with a few clients who are all trying to deal with conflict and how to handle it in a constructive way to so that they leave the conversation positively and as though they have said everything that they want to say.

It is horrible dealing with an issue with someone when you are caught off guard; which leads you to react instinctively and in a way that afterwards, on reflection, you regret. You may say things you don’t mean, you might say things that hurt the other person, or you may forget to say some of the things you want to say…and you leave the conversation feeling at best, frustrated and at worst- misunderstood.

Being “on the front foot” when dealing with confrontation  means that you are ready for it and you have planned what you want to say. You approach the conversation calmly, in control and ready to express your thoughts in a considered way. Anger and animosity is replaced with self control and methodology.

If you know you need to have a conversation with someone that may well be difficult and cause conflict my advice would be:

• plan a time to have it with that person
• work out in advance what you want to say and if necessary, have notes with you to refer to
• approach the conversation ready to acknowledge out loud how the other person may be feeling or what their thoughts on the subject are going to be
• come with a solution to the problem