The best way to minimize the negative effect of disputes on your business is to avoid them in the first place.
Business gets done between people. Flawed people. People with their own problems and priorities. But also, people who wake up everyday wanting to do good – to make a difference in their world. People who want to do the right thing.
So, why do people fight? Why do businesses have disputes? Because communication breaks down—leading to a loss of trust. While helping people with diverse interests resolve complex multi-party disputes, it becomes apparent there are very few truly evil people in the world. By listening carefully to the person on “the other side of the table” and attempting to place yourself in their shoes, you can often see potential solutions that you simply cannot see from where you sit. Most disputes are the result of people not understanding each other, not listening, not empathizing – essentially, not understanding and, hence, not trusting each other.
You trust your family, your friends because you know them, as individuals. You work through your problems because you trust each other. Regardless of the differences in your perspectives, you will not allow problems to turn into disputes that drive you apart.
Through training and mentoring tailored specifically to you and your business, Mr. Dean, principal of Integrative Business Solutions, LLC, can help your people learn how to avoid disputes, both internally and externally, by building trust, keeping it, and making it stronger.