One of the most important things I have learned through working with people with disabilities is that, just like with everyone, compromise is important.
One way that use this aspect of compromise is when one of the guys that I work with and I take my dog on walks. Sometimes when we go on walks, the guy that I work with wants to go home really quickly so that he can go back to his computer and sometimes he is happy to go for a longer walk. Sometimes I'm tired and I don't want to walk too far and sometimes I'm really enjoying striding along the creek watching my dog chase smells on the breeze. So we use compromise: we talk about which landmark we might walk to that day (the bridge, or the train or the seat) and then we talk about where we walked to previous days, and we agree on which landmark we go to that day. Usually, when we get to the landmark we sit down for a bit and chat while resting out legs. This aspect of the walk really helps to gather the energy to walk back.
Does anyone else have tips about how they use compromising in their work?
Thanks for starting the conversation, Chiara. I find compromising to be an essential part of most of my relationships. I can think of exceptions, for instance, if I were a police officer, I would have to apply the rules and there would be no room for compromise. If somebody has to wear a mask to protect themselves and others in these Coroana virus times, then the only compromise would be between going out and staying home. Compromise definitely works better than confrontation in supporting people; what you are talking about, Chiara, is compromise in the sense of adjusting plans according to how people feel. I like your example because it includes your feelings too. You show your support work as part of a relationship where your feelings also play a part.