The key to being successful in direct support is having the ability to develop and maintain positive relationships with the people you support — and those you work with.

You will get to know your co-workers very well and the work you will do on a daily basis is personal. Interpersonal conflict or disagreements are bound to arise. It is common for people to have difficulty sharing their concerns if they are not getting along well with someone. Here are some suggestions for conversation starters:

• “I don’t think you meant to come across this way, but what you said made me feel disrespected.”
• “From your tone I get the sense you are frustrated. Is there something I am doing to frustrate you?”

Keep this in mind, people do not intentionally get up in the morning and make a conscious decision to be unpleasant at work.

It is important to have necessary conversations with people. Most people would rather just hear what they need to do differently than have you think poorly of them.