Team conflicts? More like a cat fight, but with less fur and more feelings. 𝗔𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗟𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴: Hear them out, even if they’re speaking in tongues. 𝗘𝗺𝗽𝗮𝘁𝗵𝘆: Put yourself in their shoes, even if they’re a size 12. 𝗢𝗽𝗲𝗻 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: Encourage honest and open dialogue, but avoid throwing shade. 𝗖𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗮𝗯𝗼𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗺-𝗦𝗼𝗹𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴: Work together to find solutions, even if it means compromising. 𝗣𝗼𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗥𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗰𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁: Celebrate victories, big or small, to boost morale. Remember, a team that works together, stays together. So let's turn these conflicts into opportunities for growth.

"Conflict is inevitable; resolution is a choice." What worked for me: Address Issues Early: I address the conflicts immediately. The sooner, the better, or else things will only get out of hand. More often than not, quick action keeps small problems from becoming big ones. Encourage Open Conversations: I make sure to hold a space where team members are free to voice concerns and listen to their colleagues' perspectives without interruptions. Instead of finger-pointing, focus on solutions. Shifting the focus from blaming who's at fault to the search for a constructive solution keeps the team united, looking forward rather than backward. These steps helped me to preserve collaboration and a positive work culture.

Effectively managing team conflicts takes both understanding and a firm, action-oriented plan. Here’s our approach: 🔹 𝗘𝗻𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗢𝗽𝗲𝗻 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: Make sure team members feel comfortable voicing their concerns and ensure the conversation remains solution-focused. 🔹 𝗜𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘆 𝗨𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗹𝘆𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗖𝗮𝘂𝘀𝗲𝘀: Surface the real issues behind the conflict, often hidden beneath surface-level disagreements. 🔹 𝗗𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗽 𝗖𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗡𝗲𝘅𝘁 𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗽𝘀: Once the core issue is identified, agree on a resolution plan and hold regular check-ins to ensure the conflict doesn’t resurface. A strong team isn’t one without conflicts, but one that knows how to resolve them.

When team conflicts arise in your small business, addressing them swiftly is essential to maintaining a positive work environment. Drawing from my experience, I've learned that embracing servant leadership can be transformative. By prioritizing transparent communication and walking alongside your team, you resolve conflicts and build a culture of trust and collaboration. This approach reignites passion within the team and paves the way for sustainable success, as I witnessed with my startup, @execsocks.

Start by bringing these two together privately. Have them bring forward FACTS only - nothing subjective, just cold, hard, proof. Once you've got your list of FACTS, hear both sides. Let them talk to one another, not to you. Come up with a solution for each scenario before moving onto the next. 99% of the original list is likely based on not knowing the entire picture.