Friday, February 3, 2012

Nonviolent Communication and Conflict Management

Last week I started working with a new family as a Nanny. Their child is 3 months old. The mother was really worried about leaving her daughter and concerned every time she cried with me. I was empathetic and explained that its normal since the child has never really had anyone else take care of her and that in time she would get comfortable with me. I told her I understood how she was feeling and asked her constantly how she wanted me to handle things. This past weekend they called me and let me go because the mother realized she wasnt ready to go back to work yet. I was compassionate and said I was sorry and that i can only imagine how hard it is to leaver her daughter. I was very sympathetic and understanding. I kept my cool even though i was utterly shocked they 'fired' me because the mother and i had discussed how she couldnt wait to get back to work, though would miss her daughter greatly.

I dont have any other conflicts in my life. I try to be open-minded, laid back and compromise as often as possible. I do know that for any future conflicts or disagreements I will be observant of the other persons feelings, opinions and viewpoints. I will not belittle what they believe in or feel. I will use compassion and empathy as my basis for every interaction. I will take action against violent communication and make it apart of my personal and professional environment. 

Any suggestions?

2 comments:

  1. Rica,
    Sorry to hear that things did not work out for you in your Nanny position. Sounds as though the mom was not ready to return to work. It's interesting as I am trying to be more observant in my interactions and really listen to what the person is saying.
    Tamara

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  2. Rica, I am sorry that this particular position did not work our for you. However, this seemed more of the mother's miscommunication than yours. Maybe if she had stopped and reflected upon her own feelings this could misfortune could have been prevented. You made an attempt, asking how you could make things better, hoping to build trust and respect despite the outcome. Keep your head up and continue to perservere.

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