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- How to Practice Listening to Resolve Team Conflict
Listening is one of the best strategies you can implement to improve the quality of your performances, and it works to strengthen relationships in the process—especially when conflict arises.
Quality performance is part of the key to success in the group’s mission, and if our performance requires correction, then it’s natural to experience negative emotions and react with a defensive posture.
The most enduring teams weather these conflicts and create lasting legacies by implementing a strategy based in listening and helpful responses.
When the need for correction comes, both parties must exercise respectful listening and then responding in a way that achieves a common goal. Sure, there’s room for a countering perspective—but again, we work for the good of the team’s mission: glorifying God with the music we make.
If you RECEIVE correction:
Listen without interruption.
Acknowledge the Giver’s statement politely.
Articulate your feelings without charge.
If you’re confused, ask the Giver to clarify their position.
Either accept the correction, or offer another option that solves the problem at hand.
If you opt for the latter in Step 5, then repeat the steps.
If you have yet to arrive to a resolution, then accept the correction and politely request a private conversation afterwards.
If you GIVE correction:
Acknowledge the Receiver’s strengths.
Be succinct in your correction without being blunt.
Reaffirm their strengths after correction.
Listen, Acknowledge, Articulate, and Clarify as if you were a Receiver
Either accept an alternative solution, or re-articulate why the initial problem requires your original correction.
If resolution doesn’t come after repeating once, gently offer to meet with them afterwards but for the sake of efficiency, they’ll need to adapt to your request.
If Givers and Receivers are able to listen well and respond helpfully to each other, tension is minimized and respect is amplified.
Be blessed 👊✌️
Derek is the founder and director of Worship Strategies and is also Creative Ministries Director Faith Family Church in Fayette, MO. Outside of ministry, he is active as a musician and entrepreneur. He is married to his wife Kaitlynn, and they have two beautiful daughters.
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