Like all businesses, conflict is a natural part of the wonderful world of commercial painting. With so many stakeholders involved in any given project, it is natural to have varying points of view, and these can often lead to a clash of perspectives.

In this post, I’m going to discuss the first and arguably most important key to resolving this clash: true understanding of where the other individual is coming from, their unique perspective.

Understanding begins with listening. But not the natural tendency to listen with the intent to just throw your perspective into mix. Instead, listening to understand is crucial here. This can take some willpower. It requires you to put aside your own view for a moment in order to be fully present and engaged in the other person’s perspective.

And while listening, you need to be aware of two distinct issues, and how they intertwine.

The first is awareness of the person. It’s important to understand their values, strengths, weaknesses, hopes, fears, goals, needs, etc going into the conflict. If you don’t know the individual well, this may be more challenging, but many of the cues in the conversation will be present if you watch for them. If you understand how the person mentally and emotionally operates, you will have much better insight on their perspective.

The second is awareness of situation. You need to understand clearly what the other person is trying to communicate, and their full understanding of the situation in conflict. Here, actually repeating back to the other person in your own words their perspective of the situation can be very helpful. If you have it right, they’ll agree with you, and appreciate your dedication to understanding them. If you have it wrong, they’ll let you know, and you can continue to work to understand before moving forward.

With awareness of the person, and a real understanding of their unique perspective on the situation in conflict, you have the data you need to move forward toward resolving the conflict.

About the Author: Heinrich

Heinrich Schoeman is the Managing Director for Wolfgang Commercial Painters, one of Vancouver's largest commercial and strata painting companies. Heinrich is dedicated to expanding Wolfgang’s customer base by building long-term relationships on a foundation of trust and true service. Shortly after graduating from Simon Fraser University in 2006, Heinrich joined the Wolfgang team, excited to become part of a fast growing business in a dynamic industry. In his spare time, Heinrich is very active, dividing his time between running, hiking, yoga, and working out at the gym. He also has a passion for history and philosophy, and enjoys traveling whenever he gets the opportunity.

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