Getting along with your team members is very important but it is extremely easy to start arguing, too. A common thing that happens is getting defensive. However, what does getting defensive mean and how do you prevent it?
When you become defensive, you are trying to hide from the fears of the situation. However, when you do this, it is harder to make the right decision. To stop this, you need to acknowledge, slow down, check negative talk, take action step, and start over.
For example, you are doing a project with fellow employees but then you start to disagree on something. While trying to prove your point, acknowledging that you’re getting defensive is very important. The second thing you can do to not be defensive is to slow down. Many times, you are thinking a lot and you just need to take a breather. Step outside, take a deep breath. Third, check negative talk. Make sure that you’re not just talking about bad things. Try making it more positive. Fourth, which is one of the more important ones, take an action step. You need to figure out something to stop yourself from being defensive; prevent yourself from talking too much, apologize, and many other things could work as well. Lastly, you should go over the situation again but in the right way.
In my opinion, training yourself to not get defensive is crucial when you are working in an environment where you interact with other people often. Taking time to learn this skill is beneficial. Either you’re in high school, college, or in your professional career, working with other people is a common thing and if you tend to get angry or defensive, this can be negative to your relations with people, your career, and many other things.