Arguing is part of life. Whenever people with different personalities or opinions are forced to cooperate, an argument can easily ignite. People argue everywhere: in the home, at the airport, during classes, and, of course, in the work place.
In a working environment, whether your environment is the same office every day or, for the traveling business person, different meeting rooms all over the world, you may find yourself arguing with coworkers about a variety of things. You may argue about a proposal, you may argue about a brainstorming idea, you may argue about the unfair treatment you think you’re getting, or you may simply argue about who drank the last of the coffee without making more.
Some people like to argue - lawyers, very outspoken personalities, people reliving their glory days as the senior year debate team captain - but most people get uncomfortable the instant they find themselves in the mist of a disagreement. For these types of people, there are ways to end an argument before it gets really ugly.
Listen: Whenever you find yourself arguing, you may become so easily distracted by the points you are making that you don’t take the time to really listen to the other person. The person on the other end may be arguing with you, but they may also have some viable points, points that even you will agree with. Listening to them also shows them that you respect what they have to say. Not listening, and interjecting with opinions and ideas of your own, will only take the argument to the next level.
Walk in the other person’s shoes: Oftentimes in an argument, there is no right or wrong answer: both sides have positives and negatives. Admitting this to your opponent is a great way to calm them down. Instead of blatantly disagreeing with everything they say, tell them that you can see their point and that you understand where they are coming from. This automatically takes them off the defense, making them much more likely to see your point as well.
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