How to conquer conflict in content design
There’s no denying that a big part of being a content designer is dealing with people. And often enough, people you disagree with.
Whether they are stakeholders ignoring user needs and requesting a ‘one stop shop’ website based around all their team’s activities, or someone in your own team who wants to take the project a different way. Sooner or later, if you’re a content designer, you’re going to find yourself dealing with some kind of conflict.
If you’re anything like me, you probably weren’t trained or prepared for this. It may not be something you’d consider to be in your skillset, or perhaps it even fills you with dread.
We’ve been talking about this in my current team over the last few months. How do we uphold our content design and user experience standards, especially if we’re talking to people who are less aware of the value we bring?
Well, it’s not easy. We got together to talk about it and shared some of our experiences as a group. I also shared some advice that works for me (at least most of the time).
These lessons were hard-learned for me over many years, and many instances of getting it wrong!
When ‘this is just the right thing to do’ isn’t working, here are some things to try instead.
You can also get these as a document: Dealing with difficult conversations, a short guide for content designers (Google Drive)
1. Step away from solutions
Content design means saying ‘no’…at least some of the time.
You’re usually saying no to a predetermined solution, not the outcome your colleague wants to achieve.
Move the conversation away from solutions and towards achieving the right outcome.
There might be friction in this conversation, and it might feel uncomfortable. It’s going to be OK!
2. Notice your different perspectives
Are your colleagues thinking mostly about issues and concerns local to them and their work? Have they assumed that they ‘are the user’?
Are you looking from the outside, the bigger picture, and with empathy for users?
Notice whether these different perspectives are clashing.
3. Recognise what’s behind the tension
Are you reacting to something that’s not being said? Are they? Notice if you or they are feeling threatened about:
- competence: you think that your skills or intelligence are in doubt
- inclusion: you feel excluded
- autonomy: it feels as though they are trying to control you
- status: you think someone is challenging your power, position or worth
- reliability: you feel that your dependability is in question
- integrity: you perceive that your moral values are under suspicion
(Adapted from Tammy Lenski: What are your conflict hooks?)
Feeling threatened can make us push our views firmly. The other person counters that pressure with more pressure, and the conversation becomes combative: trading facts, hoping to ‘win’.
4. Create space for a conversation
You can create a buffer space between their views and yours by taking away the pressure.
You’re removing the perceived ‘threat’, and moving away from winning or losing. This might take several conversations as you build trust.
By setting up the space, you invite them to join you in it.
The way to create the buffer space is by listening.
5. Listen and listen some more
Find out what they really want. Talk about outcomes, not solutions or design ideas yet.
Listening works better when you can see each other. Make it a human interaction.
- Ask questions: ‘Tell me about…?’
- Dig deeper: ‘Thank you for explaining [this thing]. Can you tell me more about [that thing]?’
- Check your understanding: ‘Can I check I understood this correctly?…’
- Seek clarification: ‘I didn’t understand that last point, can you explain it for me?’
- Reflect back to them what they have said: ‘I’m hearing that…’
- Notice what their priorities are: ‘I can see that this is really important.’
- Find out what they want to achieve: ‘What is your end goal? What would that do for you?’
You’re not just waiting for your turn to speak. Avoid: ‘I hear what you’re saying, but…’ Don’t get drawn back into trading facts. You’ll need to keep holding the space.
6. Bring it back to users
Now you can bring the conversation back to users and evidence. You can talk about:
- data: ‘What we see users actually doing is…’
- user needs: ‘What we know from user research is…’
- external perspective: ‘Let’s think about how someone outside the organisation would find/use/understand this…’
7. Work towards outcomes
You can now use your skills to work on potential solutions. When you meet again, explain your design approach. Talk about users and outcomes:
‘We know people are looking here, so this will help them find it.’
‘We’ve seen on similar pages that this makes it really intuitive and easy to act on.’
Reassure them:
‘We’ll keep an eye on the data, check that it’s performing as we want it to.’
If they ask for changes you don’t agree with, go back to listening. Work out what they think their suggestion will achieve:
‘What do you think that change will do?’
You don’t need to commit to changing anything in the moment:
‘I’ll go and think about that.’
Follow up meetings with a summary of what you talked about, next steps and actions. Don’t leave it too long without being in touch. An information gap can bring back their fear.
8. You don’t have to do it alone
It’s OK to:
- take someone with you
- say you need to talk to your team or check the guidelines
- leave if someone is being unprofessional or disrespectful
What works for you?
Do you have any guidance on coping with thorny conversations? Maybe you’ve used pair writing to work through a difficult situation. Let me know.
And thanks to those who contributed their thoughts on this.
