Repeat business is the key to any successful enterprise. But businesses are made up of people and people make mistakes. And mistakes, when high-trust relationships are not in place, can lead to disputes. Disputes, left unresolved, eliminate repeat business.
Worse yet, harm to your reputation can affect the ability to obtain new business. Disputes need to get resolved as soon as practically possible.
Almost invariably, disputes occur when people stop listening to each other and develop their own narrative that makes the other side appear evil. Trust dissolves away and personal relationships fall apart. Interestingly, based on extensive experience assisting in the resolution of a variety of disputes, Mr. Dean, principal of Integrative Business Solutions, LLC, has found very few truly evil people in the business world. There are a few to be sure, but the vast majority of people wake up every morning wanting to do the right thing.
So, what’s the problem? A lack of empathy – an inability or refusal to see the world through the eyes of another.
By empathizing with individual people on all sides of a dispute and listening carefully to their stories, Mr. Dean begins the process of discovering the thread of truth that runs through each of them. This thread is often key to finding a path toward resolution. Further listening, research, and analysis is used to distill, refine, and confirm that path. Ultimately, one or more solutions are developed and organized for further discussion.
The parties are then approached individually or together, as appropriate, to discuss possible solutions. After the basic structure of a deal is agreed upon, further work serves to iron out the final details. It’s interesting to note, that even within the context of a dispute, ultimately, in order to resolve it voluntarily outside the courtroom, individuals must learn to trust each other at least enough to strike a deal that relies on all parties meeting their respective obligations.