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Top 10 Uncomfortable Situations and How to Deal with Them
Making Small Talk and Dealing with Awkward Silences
- Have some good go-to stories.
- Use the FORD technique (asking questions about Family," "Occupation," "Recreation" and "Dreams) to turn small talk into an actual conversation
- Just enjoy the silence.
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Key Ideas
Forgetting Someone's Name
- If you haven’t already, ask for their business card.
- Ask for their name and pretend you just didn't know their last name.
- Introduce the person to a friend and hope they introduce themselves.
- Admit you've got a terrible memory, but it's awesome if the other person has remembered yours.
Going on a First Date
- Pick a great first-date activity.
- Keep your expectations in check.
- Learn the science behind the perfect first date.
- Try not to sweat it even if things do get uncomfortable.
Confronting a Coworker
- Treat them delicately.
- Try having a discrete, polite conversation with the person or kill 'em with kindness.
- For coworkers who are slacking off, consider whether or not they are really a harming your work before making it your problem.
Talking to Your Kids About Sex/Sensitive Topics
- Birds and Bees and Kids is a site that can help broach sex with your kids more comfortably.
- When talking about drugs, racial issues, or death, the most important thing is to meet the child where they are first and answer honestly and factually, however uncomfortable the situation might feel. Kids are taking their cues from you.
Talking About Taboo Subjects
- Stick to the facts and try to find common ground when discussing controversial subjects.
- Prevent money arguments with your partner or with anyone else by taking the emotion out of it and having a plan in place.
- Don’t engage people who just want to cause controversy.
Other Awkward Situations
- Owning Up to a Mistake: Learn from it and turn those mistakes into steps in improving yourself.
- Helping Someone Through Their Illness or Grief: The Ring Theory is a good guide for knowing how to comfort someone.
- People Who Make You Uncomfortable: It's good to be uncomfortable now and then, can give you new perspective and purpose.
SIMILAR ARTICLES & IDEAS:
No matter how much you love your job, navigating workplace politics in any office can lead to a lot of awkward situations. We tackled most of them this year in our weekly Ask the Experts columns. Below we compiled 10 of the most common-and cringeworthy-scenarios with the hopes that in 2016, things can be a little more harmonious at work.
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Key Idea
Awkward Work Scenarios
- Others taking credit for your work: speak up when presenting your joint ideas, else the boss will remember that the other was the one who did all the talking.
Years ago, I had a coworker-let's call him Mark-who wore a lot of cologne; so much that you could smell him coming. One morning, another coworker joked to our boss at the coffee station that Mark used enough Polo to choke the horse. That's when Mark walked in.
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Key Ideas
Accidentally insulting someone
Maybe you sent a text or email to the wrong person that included a less than positive opinion of the person who just received it.
Don’t make up an excuse or try to backtrack; a cand...
The lazy coworker
If you’re working with someone who isn’t pulling their weight, the key to solving this issue is to not give them too many chances.
Explain to your coworker that the project is important to you, and you want to make sure you both see things the same way. Also, talk about your needs instead of their faults.
Awkward conversations
At a party or conference where small talk with someone nearby becomes awkward:
- excuse yourself to get a drink/coffee.
- say “It’s nice talking to you, but I have to talk to someone before they leave.”
- if your conversation is on the phone, end it by saying, “I’d love to catch up, but I have somewhere to be.”
2 more ideas
We all have socially awkward experiences, but what makes a social interaction so uncomfortable? Research has pointed to 10 kinds of experiences that are especially likely to make people feel awkward, and 6 things people can do to escape from the awkwardness (without just walking away) and feel comfortable again.
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Key Ideas
Decreasing Awkwardness
- Find common interests and discuss them.
- Encourage others to talk about what interests them.
- Be gentle or help someone out, even if it is on a small thing.
Situations That Lead To Awkwardness
- Walking into a room where you don't know any of the other people.
- Being in a situation in which you don't know what you are supposed to do.
- You are all talking amongst yourself and an unknown person approaches the group.
- When a conversation does not go smoothly.
- Discomfort around food.
- Invading someone else's personal space—or having your own space invaded.
- Not remembering someone or their name or not being remembered.
- Been put in the spotlight or when others start talking about you while you are in the same room.