You're a motivational speaker facing a conflict. What are the most effective ways to handle it?

Conflict is an excellent way to continue to hone our skills. let’s face it, in sports everyone has a coach, and it is the coach's job to tell the athlete when they are doing right and when their performance is not at its peak; they must share specific actions the athlete needs to take to do a better job. Likewise, professional speakers must take the approach of innocent curiosity when conflict is involved. Breakdowns are specifically designed to create breakthroughs, and when we view conflict situations as opportunities to grow and build trust, we may just find new raving fans.

A great example of this stems from Stephen Covey’s “Seek first to understand, then be understood” Some quick ways to resolve conflict are: 1 To actively listen. This means being present during a conversation and listening to those who are speaking (even if you’re not actively a part of that conversation) 2 Ask questions to gain clarity for understanding instead of for ‘performative interest’ if you don’t have questions, repeat step 1 3 Take responsibility instead of playing a game. Many of the CEOs, founders and senior leaders I work closely with, will have assumptions made about them. (Or make assumptions about the person, audience or company). Without specifics or facts, this leads to a lose-lose scenario instead of a win-win

I recently had a conflict that made this post very relevant. Admittedly, I did not handle the conflict well, which led to hours upon hours of frustration. Identifying the root cause, which was the current process, largely due to some new implementations helped ease the frustration. The process needed to be discussed more thoroughly before certain changes were made, which led to unnecessary misunderstandings. It was talked out to get everyone on the same page. Communication is key to solving conflict. If the end goal is the same for all parties, remember that, and work towards solutions rather than blame.

The first step to resolve any conflict is to go deep down from where it is coming from. Just solving it at the surface level will not help unless and until the source is identified. Once identified you are in a better position to handle it.

Conflict resolution and crisis management skill is a must-have as a motivational speaker. When you possess such skills and you have a conflict either with your client or colleague or whatever the case may be, you can bring in your conflict management expertise to resolve the crisis. One thing you should know is that you are a problem-solver. Either the problem is created by you or others, it must be solved.

I want to tell you a secret. The essence of resolving any conflict lies not just in the art of listening, but in the act of creating space. It's about giving every voice a chance to be heard and be validated. It’s about embracing silence through active listening, and letting the diverse perspectives fill the room. By decentering ourselves, we invite others to take center stage, helping to deepen understanding and empathy. For me, it’s about shutting up so they don’t shut down. This is an opportunity for empathy, mutual respect, and collaboration to thrive.

Giving a listening ear can solve many problems like making them feel valued, wanted, showing interest in their struggling areas. Sometimes it becomes difficult to unlearn certain patterns because of our belief system but active listening can help us break those patterns and be open-minded and this gives us the opportunity to build trust for collaboration.

While the world expects you to speak at any given moment, it is even more important that you listen. NOT HEAR. But listen. Listen and break down a problem into tiny bits, fold it into a pattern and it would always point you in the right direction. A question from an individual either has a hint towards an answer or a hint towards the bias in the question. If you can pick on either of them, you can always answer it meaningfully.

To Actively listening in conflict means fully engaging with others, understanding their perspectives, and responding thoughtfully. It fosters open communication, builds trust, and helps identify common ground for constructive solutions

Escuchar es un arte, y la herramienta más importante para solucionar cualquier conflicto. Si aprendes a escuchar e identificar el motivo verdadero del escollo, tendrás la llave para resolverlo. Escucha hasta el final y luego emites tu concepto, siempre centrado en las soluciones.

Most important is how you communicate your thoughts, your feelings, your interest to make yourself understood to others. This means sharing your values and principles with confidence and respectfully maintaining your dignity.

Pay attention to what others are saying and the general perseption of your audience. This will help you solidify your points and be able to communicate in ways you will be understood.

Communicate Assertively, not aggressively. It is of utmost importance whenever you answer any questions do not fold your emotions into the spaces between them. It will not be received properly. In order to answer effectively, your voice, your body and your words should all align assertively to voice your answer.

In conflicts, communicate assertively by expressing your thoughts and needs clearly, while respecting others' perspectives. It's about finding a balance between honesty and empathy for effective and positive resolution.

As a motivational speaker facing conflict: Stay calm and composed. Listen actively to all parties involved. Communicate your perspective respectfully. Seek common ground for resolution. Find win-win solutions. Maintain professionalism. Take responsibility for your actions. Focus on solutions, not blame. Seek mediation if necessary. Learn and grow from the experience

Seeking common ground in conflict resolution involves finding shared areas of agreement, understanding, or shared goals that can serve as a foundation for resolving differences. It's about looking beyond the immediate points of contention and identifying aspects where both parties can align their interests. When facing conflicts as a motivational speaker, actively engaging in this process can foster a sense of unity and collaboration. Start by acknowledging the perspectives and concerns of others, actively listening to their points of view, and highlighting any commonalities. Emphasize shared goals or values that both parties can rally around.

The fourth step to resolving any conflict is to seek common ground with the other party. This means finding areas of agreement, alignment, or mutual benefit. By seeking common ground, you can reduce tension, hostility, or resistance. You can also foster cooperation, collaboration, or compromise. Seeking common ground can help you create a win-win situation, where both parties feel heard, understood, and satisfied with the outcome.

In conflict resolution, embrace the opportunity to learn from the experience. Reflect on the situation, understand different perspectives, and use the lessons gained to continuously improve communication and conflict resolution skills as a motivational speaker

Reflect and Learn: Take the conflict as a learning opportunity. Reflect on the causes and what could be done differently in the future to prevent similar issues.

It is always nice once your have resolved a conflict to take some time to reflect on it. I do this while I meditating via sports; but it is always better to gain insight by talking to several of your mentors. This helps to have several other points of view and check how you can handle a similar situation next time. It is quite humbling and you need not to lie to yourself in order to change your point of view and how you will hand it next time.

It is normal to be emotional when you are entering a conflictual topic. But once you have found a solution and look at critically on how you handled the situation, you can conclude that this is case closed and move on looking at the positive parts. If you cling to negative emotions, it will just eat up your current and future energy over a matter that is allready resolved - so why not chase those bad toughts and use that energy for current matters ?

The best way is As a motivational speaker facing a conflict, here are some effective ways to handle it: 1. **Stay Calm**: It's important to remain calm and composed when faced with a conflict. Take a moment to breathe and collect your thoughts before responding. 2. **Listen actively**: Seek to understand the other person's perspective by actively listening to their concerns. Encourage open communication and demonstrate empathy towards their point of view. 3. **Communicate assertively**: Clearly express your own thoughts and feelings in a respectful and assertive manner. Use "I" statements to convey your perspective without sounding accusatory. 4

Don’t answer it at face value. Dig until you find out what the actual issue is. A good way to do that is to repeat what they have said back to you as a question. So for example they say - I fundamentally disagree with what you are saying. And I repeat it back to them as a question - You fundamentally disagree with that I’m saying? Now they have to expand on why so you can answer them. Then sense check their answer with them to make sure you have it right. ‘So I think what you are saying is…. Is that correct’ Next show empathy. ‘I hear what you are saying and I am going to answer it as best as I can’. Look for what their actual issue is. Now you just have to answer. And if all else fails, throw it out to the audience for a solution.

When you are in this situation meet everyone with kindness. The person, situation and yourself. In my experience people feel this and then all can be seen, heard and acknowledged. Quite often when people are being challenged to change or do something differently there is fear involved. The kindness helps.

For conflict to resolve we need to understand the situation and the person who has understood the situation in a different approach. As an audience, they will be in a different mindset. Our responsibility is to bring them to the juncture of the contents what we are sharing and making them to understand what we intend to say is very important.

Do the opposite. Be quiet in your head. Absolute silence will help you. Stop talking for a month ............................