Water with Fire

Fire wants: fast, clear, decisive. Water wants: to understand, to feel, to connect.

What you can do (Water)

• Prepare your messages in advanceOne idea = one short sentence. Start with: “The problem is…” “The solution I am proposing is…”
• Speak in terms of results, not emotionsInstead of: “I’m not really feeling it”, say: “If we do this, we risk losing X client / Y time / Z money.”
• Set clear boundariesFire tests boundaries. Example: “I can handle this emergency, but then I won’t be able to do X today. Which do you prefer?”
• Use your empathy as a radar, not a prisonYou detect when they are about to explode. Anticipate and provide a simple solution rather than an emotional state.

To avoid (Water)

• Long-winded emails “to explain everything”.
• Waiting for them to calm down on their own without ever re-adjusting the workload.
• Taking their outbursts as systematic personal attacks