Watch Your Mouth
Anthony
This posted on FOXNews.com today:
YORKTOWN, Ind. A man accused of snatching another man’s false teeth straight from his mouth during a fight has been charged with robbery.
Yes, you read this right. And it is a wonderful illustration of two of the universal truths I learned at my father’s knee. The first: “You better watch your mouth.” The second: “If someone else starts a fight, you keep your mouth shut.”These truths can be applied in the workplace and elsewhere in life. When I deal in conflict management I tell people to remember the old adage, “It takes two to tango.” Results driven people recognize that fighting never solves problems.Now I’m not saying that you should avoid conflicts. Rather that you should address the true conflict with professionalism and avoid boisterous arguments and fistfights. They only make you look bad, escalate a situation unnecessarily and could lead to you losing your teeth.Here are a few of the steps you can take if you find yourself enmeshed in a dispute at work:
- 1. Remove yourself from the situation.2. Document the altercation in detail.3. Let your superiors know about the problem.
Taking these steps allows you say what you need to say in an appropriate venue, promotes positive communication and makes the situation more comfortable for your coworkers.Conflicts are inevitable. But escalating a conflict just to blow of steam does more harm than good. Keep your mouth shut and explain your side later. You will be the better person and the better employee for it.And come promotion time, you’ll be the one smiling with all of your teeth.
Posted on: Friday, September 21, 2007 at 10:42 pm 
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