Difficult Decisions

Sometimes decisions that bring us peace are difficult to make. 

I had to make a difficult decision this week at work that was long overdue.  However, I immediately felt as if the weight of the world was lifted off of my shoulders.  There are times when we allow others to make us uncomfortable and other times down right miserable - yet we take it for the sake of not wanting to deal with confrontation. 

I encourage you to be courageous and make the decision that you've been putting off for a long time.  Yes, it's hard, but so worth it.  You'll feel better, rest better and ultimately be better.  If not, the effects of the stress that comes as a result of the situation can and will make you sick; physically, mentally and emotionally.  We all know this!

One thing that I learned when I took a management position was to embrace confrontation and this has helped me in my personal life as well.  All confrontation is not bad confrontation.  It's the bringing together of different opinions and opposing ideas.  Steps that I take when I know confrontation is necessary:

1.  Pray and ask God for wisdom on what to say and the right time to say it. 

2.  Prepare ahead of time what I plan to say and fully understand why I am saying it.

3.  Set a time to meet on neutral ground (if possible).

4.  Whatever happens - don't get over emotional.  This is where you can lose control.

5.  Be tactful when expressing your viewpoint and allow the other person to speak without interrupting them.

6.  Avoid using terms like "you always" or "you never" but rather use specific examples.

7.  Restate what I heard the other person say to ensure I fully understand their point of view.

8.  Either agree to disagree and move on.

9.  If it's a situation where we can't just move on - work on a solution that works best for both or agree to include a mediator.

10.  Thank the person for their time and respecting your opinion.