Water with a Very Earthy Colleague

Water wants: connection, understanding. Earth wants: efficiency, results.

What you can do (Water)

• Package your empathy in concrete terms
• “If we don’t resolve this conflict, we will lose X in time / quality. Let’s talk about it for 20 minutes to clarify.”
• Prepare your requests with a start and an end
• “I need 15 minutes to talk to you about [subject]. Goal: decide on [action].”
• Respect their time
• No emotional dumping during a rush. Propose a specific time: “Shall we block 20 minutes at 4 PM to discuss this?”

To avoid (Water)

• Taking it personally because they are blunt or direct.
• Seeking “warmth” from them that they do not know how to express.
• Interpreting their silence as rejection.