Not all conflict at work is the same, and naming the type is the first step to settling it. Michael and Nicole Davis walk through task, relationship, status, value and cross-cultural conflict, with a RACI chart (responsible, accountable, consulted, informed), "I feel" statements and assuming positive intent.

00:00 What this episode covers
01:51 Why naming the conflict type helps
03:04 Task conflict: separate emotion from work
04:46 Settle who owns what with a RACI chart
09:00 Relationship conflict, plus our live example
12:56 Unpack it with questions and I statements
16:37 Status conflict: power and rank
21:56 Why conflict belongs to everyone involved
26:03 Value conflict: meet people where they are
31:09 Tell value from relationship conflict
34:34 Cross-cultural norms, like haggling on price
38:11 Wrap-up: assume positive intent

Count one week of your team's manual work: mythoughtpartner.com/walk

Episode 6 of My Thought Partner (2023), with Michael David Davis and Nicole Davis.

We are talking about communication and how to set yourself up with success and set the right expectations. This is one of the simplest things to adjust and yet, has a very large impact.

Count one week of your team's manual work: mythoughtpartner.com

Saying no at work feels risky, so most of us say yes and pay for it later. Michael and Nicole Davis cover how to say no, and how to hear it, by asking which task to drop so a new one fits, along with the Sunday scaries, managing up and fitting real breaks into a desk-bound day. These tips aren't a replacement for mental health care.

00:00 What this episode covers
04:36 What the Sunday scaries feel like
09:34 Name the worst case, then deal with it
11:37 Plan Friday, check your calendar Sunday
12:32 Leaders: wrap up Friday, start Monday later
15:04 Managing up and difficult coworkers
23:06 The one-over-N rule for meetings
29:42 Sneaking movement into your workday
35:05 Afternoon slumps and stretch breaks in meetings
41:27 What to do when you hear no
45:53 Why people-pleasers overcommit
50:35 How to say no and offer a later yes

Count one week of your team's manual work: mythoughtpartner.com/walk

Episode 4 of My Thought Partner (2023), with Michael David Davis and Nicole Davis.