A Sensible Way to Manage Conflict

<div class="article-entry"><p>All of us have to resolve conflicts at one point or another. You might have disagreements with a co-worker, a relative, a spouse, a child, or with a business you hire. I was at a workshop recently where the expert introduced an approach for resolving conflicts that seems to work.</p><p>The method goes by the acronym LEAP, which stands for Listen, Empathize, Agree, and Partner.</p><p>Here’s how I used LEAP this week when dealing with a late delivery for my new gas range. First I called to see why the delivery hadn’t been made within the promised two-hour time slot. I LISTENED while the representative explained the crew was running late. A difficult job and the rain had thrown the schedule off. I EMPATHIZED, saying unexpected things can happen. After an apology from the rep, the next step was coming to some agreement on when I could expect delivery. I explained that I could wait no more than 45 minutes, and we AGREED upon a new delivery time. Through PARTNERING, we accomplished our common goal of getting the range into my garage that afternoon.</p><p>LEAP eliminates a lot of frustration around dealing with conflicts and works in many different situations. Try it and see if you like it as much as I do.</p><div class="og_rss_groups"></div></div>