Compassionate Confrontation

On Monday I read the Compassionate Confrontation. I blogged about it but the network was down so I am blogging about it again. I really liked this article and got a lot out of it. I like that the article tries to diminish the negative connotation that goes along with confrontation. The article says "no one is worthy of you giving up your integrity." This really made an impression on me. Sometimes I tend to be passive because I want people to like me or because I may be intimidated by them. I shouldn't be that way. I am going to work on doing what is right, even if it may step on some toes. Whether it is reminding students to do their tasks or keeping someone from stealing, as a supervisor it is my job to do the right thing and confront people when necessary. I also like that they article talks about your ability to confront being directly linked with peoples ability to trust you. I think when student workers know that you will take care of things and when their is consistency, they will trust you. The article also talks about knowing when or when not to confront someone. Sometimes you should know when to pick your battles. The article says "it requires wisdom to know when to let the person struggle and when to offer constructive suggestions." I think the most important part of this article is maintaining the personal aspect of confrontation. Be "compassionate". Treat them fairly, and if confrontation is required...do it with integrity.