The Single Most Important Thing In Conflict Conversations

Besides feeling tense and complicated with emotion and uncertainty, it can feel tricky to navigate conflict conversations. Either there are more moving parts than we can make sense of or we're stuck in a standstill.

The one thing that matters most is listening. Listening with non-judgmental trustworthiness, listening with questions aimed at understanding rather than positioning, listening as alternative to attacking and defending. We listen to open space for the other to listen more deeply to themselves. We move more easily into spaces of mutual clarity with others to the degree we each become more capable of listening to ourselves. Listening to each other makes that more possible.