A short transcript excerpt from a conversation (YouTube video) featuring Jim Johnson discussing his past insecurity about handling conflict, particularly in the context of owning a contracting business where conflict occurs daily and is often avoided. The exchange includes another speaker prompting reflection about the fear of conflict.
Difficult conversation. Let's have it. We're either gonna grow together, man. I'm being empathetic. We're growing together, or you give me that punch in the ribs. I'm like, you're done. We're gone. Good. Difficult. Some conversation handle. Okay.
That used to be one of my insecurities is handling conflict. This. You know, there's conflict throughout. Like, especially if you own a contracting business. Like, there's gonna be conflict on a daily basis every day, and you try to avoid it.
Why do you think you. You. You feared that?
Oh, because I didn't think I was up to the challenge. I didn't. I didn't think I could navigate the conversation in a productive and valuable way for the other person. And so I. Instead of just going out there and going school of hard knocks about it, I actually went and did some studying. I actually started reading and studying and learning and going to those other leaders that were really good at conflict resolution and learning from them so that I could understand better what somebody else was going through and have those hard con.
