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What Do Small Business Owners Need to Understand about Conflict?
I have worked with a number of leaders and teams in small businesses. They, like bigger businesses and organizations, sometimes need help to navigate conflict and communicate effectively. Every business is unique, with its own set of strengths and challenges, but over time I have found some commonalities in conflict related mistakes small business owners make and what changes they can make, with help and support, to ensure they flourish over the long term. Here are some suggestions my clients have found helpful:
Set Priorities and realistic expectations:
Acknowledging that time is limited, agree on 1) what must be done, 2) what would be good to do 3) what can wait 4) what needs to drop off the list.
Your much-valued employees are not owners. Respect their time when they are not working. Remember that however productive and brilliant, you are still simply a small group of people, not a whole army!
When a truly urgent issue comes up, all of you must decide what else must be postponed to handle it. This means employees setting boundaries about how much they can do. It means owners recognizing an employee can’t do everything and acknowledging and asking what is possible.
Grant each other grace:
Remember to pause and appreciate each other. Stress and crisis can make your communication pressured and harsh. Remember how hard each of you works and how much you contribute. None of you are trying to hurt the other. We all make mistakes, in actions and communication. Take a deep breath and come from love.
Communicate clearly and directly:
Talk to each other rather than complain about each other. Be thoughtful, curious, and solution oriented about problems rather than focusing on blame.
Focus on now, release resentments and grudges:
Deal with and let go of stories and resentments from the past, so you can fully show up, with all your abilities and compassion, in the present. This may require some forgiveness and willingness.
Remember the importance of rest and renewal
Rest and renewal is as important as your “to do” list: When you have a small business, the “to do” list never stops. But, you need to learn to sit peacefully with things not yet done. You all need to stop, rest, recharge or your business model is not sustainable. People will burn out and quit.
All of these suggestions are simple, but not always easy to implement. I find that assessing organizational patterns, offering effective training and individual coaching can help owners and team members look at their part in the problems and change habitual ways of thinking and interacting for the better. And I find such joy in seeing the positive changes and progress toward harmonious and well-functioning businesses.
Lorraine Segal has helped over 2000 leaders and others in organizations and corporations communicate more clearly, transform conflicts, and let go of resentments. The goal: to create a more harmonious and productive workplace. Through her business, Conflict Remedy, Lorraine creates customized training and coaching programs for non-profit organizations, corporations, and government agencies and Sonoma State University. She was recently named one of the top 15 coaches in Santa Rosa by Influence Digest. She is a contributing author to the book, Stand Up, Speak Out Against Workplace Bullying. Her latest project, a memoir called: Angels and Earthworms, an unexpected journey to love, joy, and miracles, is about her transformation from miserable self-doubt to self-acceptance, true love, spiritual awareness, and right livelihood. Find out more about the memoir here. Contact Lorraine through ConflictRemedy to request a free consultation for you and your organization or to sign up for her conflict remedy newsletter and blog.
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Good Leaders Navigate Conflict Skillfully
© Lorraine Segal Conflict Remedy 2024
