Let’s take a moment to consider a potential work situation. Your supervisor just announced that you and a colleague, Bruce, will have an opportunity to meet with the company’s CEO in two hours to deliver a presentation on your team’s current project. Due to the short notice, Bruce believes your presentation should be an impromptu speech, delivered without notes or a plan. This seems a little risky to you since there is no preparation involved. You want to impress the CEO. You believe your presentation should be written out word for word and read aloud to the audience to make sure every key point is included.
It appears you both have a different idea for the presentation. Under these circumstances, how would you use your relationship building skill to collaborate with Bruce and resolve your differences in opinion? Please select one option below and thoroughly explain why you selected this option to come to a resolution.
Communicate openly and effectively concerning your preference.
Ask another colleague for their input.
Trust Bruce and follow his suggestion.
Full Answer Section
Communicating Openly and Effectively
The first step is to communicate openly and effectively with Bruce. Explain your reasons for wanting to write out the presentation word for word. Share your concerns about delivering an impromptu speech, and explain why you think it's important to make sure that every key point is included.
Listen to Bruce's reasons for wanting to give an impromptu speech. Try to understand his perspective, and see if there's anything you can learn from him. Be open to his ideas, and be willing to compromise.
Asking Another Colleague for Input
If you're still deadlocked, you can ask another colleague for input. This could be someone who has experience giving presentations to the CEO, or someone who is familiar with your team's project. Their input could help you to see the situation from a different perspective, and it could give you some new ideas for how to resolve your differences.
Trusting Bruce and Following His Suggestion
If you've tried everything else and you're still not sure what to do, you can trust Bruce and follow his suggestion. He may have more experience giving presentations to the CEO, or he may have a better understanding of what the CEO is looking for. If you trust him, you can give him the benefit of the doubt and see how it goes.
Which Option Would I Choose?
Of the three options, I would choose to
communicate openly and effectively with Bruce. I think it's important to be able to communicate effectively with my colleagues, especially when we have different ideas. By communicating openly and effectively, we can build trust and respect, and we can find a way to collaborate and resolve our differences.
I would also ask Bruce to explain his reasons for wanting to give an impromptu speech. I would try to understand his perspective, and I would be open to his ideas. I would also be willing to compromise, if necessary.
I think that by communicating openly and effectively, we can find a solution that works for both of us. We can both be confident that we're giving the best presentation possible, and we can both feel good about the way we worked together.
Here are some additional tips for collaborating with a colleague who has different ideas:
- Be respectful of your colleague's ideas, even if you don't agree with them.
- Be willing to listen to your colleague's perspective.
- Be open to compromise.
- Be willing to put the team's success ahead of your own ego.
By following these tips, you can collaborate effectively with your colleagues, even when you have different ideas. You can build trust and respect, and you can find solutions that work for everyone.