If only we didn’t have to work and live with human beings. But sadly, people bring their baggage – past and present – to every situation (socially and work). Unavoidably tensions will exist.
If you are bumping heads in your social or work environment it means two people are having a fight (you being one).
Passing the buck, ignoring or attempting to contain it sometimes is not enough.
Turn your rivals into partners instead and in the process strengthen your positions, networks and career.
Ready?
Are you ready to enjoy some freedom this year?
Are you ready for the challenge to turn your top five enemies into allies?
The plan
Step 1 – Choose your top five enemies.
Step 2 – Prioritise them with completion date.
Step 3 – Commit and share with someone else.
Step 4 – Define a step-by-step strategy.
Step 5 – Define actions with dates and diarise.
Step 6 – Just do it!
Chances are you’ll have five more invites for your year-end party this year.
Know from the start, that you can do everything from your side but sometimes that might just not be enough. Make peace with that. You tried. You might not have an ally but you will have no enemy either.
Some tips
Here are some great tips to turn your enemies into allies:
- Be self-aware: introspection will highlight key truths.
- Seek the good: everybody has something.
- Be honest: they’ll smell dishonesty a mile away.
- Walk in their shoes: really walk it though.
- Get to know them: their hobbies, likes and dislikes, everything.
- Find common ground: your most powerful tool.
- Stay calm: always.
- Follow through: don’t let it be a once-off, your true character lies here.
Do
If Nelson Mandela could forgive his oppressors for spending 27 years in jail and become allies, you can forgive yours. Now, go make some friends! ❐
Author: Stanford Payne CA(SA)
