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Principled vs. Positional:
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Principled communication is defined and “zooming out” and
looking at the over PRINCIPLE behind what is trying to be
accomplished by this communication. What is the RESULT we
are looking for?
Positional communication is defined has each person taking a
POSITION and trying to defend that position.
We use PRINCIPLED communication. This type of
communication tends to lead to creative ideas that gets a
BETTER RESULT than either party would have gotten
individually. It involves both parties looking a problem together
as a team, fighting against the problem rather than fighting
against each other.
Example: A doctor comes to the medical director or owner (supervisor of
doctors) requesting a day off next month. This doctor missed the vacation
request deadline of the 1 .
st
Positional communication (what we DON’T do) would be doctor taking a
position of “I work hard around here. I only want one day off and it’s a month
away. If they don’t give me this day off I will make things miserable for
everyone. How rude. I might even quit.” The supervisor takes the position of
“I follow procedures. It’s my job. I am not giving them that day off because
they will do this to me every month. If it makes the doctor want to quit, then I
am going to let them quit. Whatever!”
Principled communication (what we do) would be BOTH parties asking the
question, “How could we get you that day off AND still follow the procedure of
not remaking the schedule after the vacation request deadlines?”….they work
TOGETHER and talk to the other doctors. They get creative. They do a partial
day trade on one day and the doctor offers to work an extra half day later that
week. All parties are now happy and procedures are still followed.
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