How to Succeed at Confrontation

If you're in a leadership role in business, or even in your personal life, learning how to manage confrontation comes with the territory. Not everyone is cut out for the role; it takes some courage and insight to really stake your ground, define boundaries, and handle a confrontation successfully. But what exactly differentiates the successful Trump-style negotiators from those that get buried in the sand? Here are some critical keys to success so that you can succeed at confrontation:

1. Keep your cool. You don't want to be unfriendly, but a conservative and professional manner will take you to a place where you can establish some solid boundaries. Being 'too nice' will make you lose respect from the other party, simply because it's hard to be confident with emotional entanglements. If this is the time to put on your poker face, do it!

2. Confront the issue, don't attack the person. No matter who you are dealing with, it's important to keep a level head and share your perspective on the problem at hand, not the relationship you have with the person-that conversation can wait until another time

3. Ask questions. You want the other person to be engaged in the discussion, so avoid the one-person, narrowed focus that leads to a monologue on your point of view. Ask questions and solve the problem together; you can only create a win-win result when the other person is in agreement with you, so sharpening those communication skills is necessary.

4. Be generous. Look to understand their point of view, restate it so that you've understood correctly, then step back and consider different options. Blatantly stating your final say on an issue is only going to lead to anger and maybe even an uncooperative stance from the other parties.

5. Handle the problem head-on. Avoid procrastinating the issue, no matter how small it may seem. Bringing the details to light and handling them objectively can help both parties understand and resolve the issue.