Teaching an old dog new tricks

In dealing with a diverse audience, be prepared to work with those who are very set in their ways or who have very strongly held need to be 'in charge' or 'in control'.

The following options would be dysfunctional and are not scalable:

• Open confrontation. If you win, now you have to watch your back all the time. Not to mention, others are also watching and know how you deal with conflict.
• Sabotage and subterfuge. This is same as the previous point, except you are keeping quiet about it. Frankly, this will lower trust even more.
• Retreat or flight. Getting a different job takes time. Besides, what will you do if a similar situation occurs again?

Your specific strategies and tactics will vary. Even if you 'lose' the argument or are forced to comply with a different idea, you can still come out ahead and develop your assets in many ways:

• Be remembered for how you handled the situation.
• Be fair.
• Suspend judgment.
• Offer to help and remove obstacles in the 'opposing' idea.

The old adage, 'if you can't fight 'em (and win), join 'em', is still valid. Do it in a positive manner, instead of becoming a martyr. Displaying integrity, honesty and being a role model is a long term approach and requires sacrifice of short term wins.

Look ahead to see what conflicts could arise 'beyond the horizon' and prepare well. You can out-maneuver your opponents and win them over by offering value and making them successful. Conflicts and misunderstandings arise because your value proposition is not clear or you are not communicating it clearly.