On this day a year ago I married my best friend. We’ve shared a lot of ups and downs, much like many businesses do. In a way, a marriage is like a business:
- Possible name change
- Accounts merge
- Consolidate/relocate under one roof
- Plan for the benefit of the collective, whether it pertains to the individual or said collective
As I mentioned before with the good comes the bad. There are times where one can get so frustrated it would result in a possible rash response, of sorts. Before it goes that far it is always better to do two things: listen and ponder on what was said before responding.
There have been several times where I was wrong just because I assumed something, without getting all of the details. Let your partner, or in this case co-worker, finish informing you about a matter. Listen to all the information. You co-worker could be pulling your leg resulting in good news or a joke. No one wants to be yelled at when they could not get a chance to finish their statement.
On the other hand, you could have done everything right but factors outside of your control could pivot the situation 180 degrees. The news could be the worst ever. Before you respond, think about the information you just received. Ask questions to understand why things happened the way they did. Maybe the matter can be fixed based on a tiny detail. There could have been a communication issue, from your end no less!
It’s good to figure out the elements that went wrong to avoid doing again. After all, you’re in it for the long haul so you might as well get use to handling tough situations. Just that fact alone requires a filter when responding or communicating at all. You can respond in a constructive way to carefully communicate your message without conveying a negative demeanor.
Fun fact: My husband and I share our anniversary with my paternal grandparents. It’s great to see Bud and Molly together happily after all these years. 🙂
To my husband: we made it!
Marketing Cassandra 