It’s just a matter of time. When two (or more) people work together for very long, conflict WILL happen. It’s a fact of life.
But how that conflict is handled – or better yet prevented – can make or break a great working relationship or team. Effective teams figure out how to talk about an issue in a way that ensures the issue is clearly identified, feelings and perceptions are shared, and dialog ensues that works toward some type of common goal.
Two of my colleagues, Clark and Ben have recently started a new business, Internpreneur. This service is a turn key, step by step digital guide that teaches employers how to attract and manage interns. They are currently building the product at the Nashville Entrepreneur Center’s Social Enterprise Accelerator.
As a tool for their new working relationship, they completed a DiSC 
assessment to better understand how they individually and collaborative work together. Two weeks after we completed their assessment I got a call that simply said, “You saved us!” A difficult situation had come up in the business. And because of our discussion about their different styles, A major conflict was avoided.
They offered to share their experience and I’m happy to share it with you. Listen to this conversation between Ben and Clark to learn how intentional conversation prevented a potentially huge future conflict.
So, what can you take away from Ben and Clark?
1. It’s a matter of WHEN not IF that conflict will occur within your team.
2. Understanding yourself is the starting point to productive conflict resolution.
3. Constructive conversations must go beyond perceptions and focus on facts before successful resolution can occur.
4. It is healthy to be proactive in dialog about how we will resolve differences before they occur.
5. Often, you will benefit from an unbiased third party to help you find clarity with team differences.
Ben and Clark used the DiSC tool to help them understand their team DNA but they didn’t stop there. They took it as step further to ensure they applied the tool. We can help you dig into what makes you and your team tick. Better yet, how that understanding helps your team perform. Interested in learning more? Give Ben and Clark a shout. They would love to share their story with you and we would love to tell you more about that secret weapon.