5 Efficient Ideas to Eliminate Conflicts from a Startup

Conflicts are the main generators of progress. If people did not have opposing views on the same matter, there would be fewer ingenious ideas. However, there is a clear line between a constructive argument and conflict and their destructive counterparts. Every problem that slows down the progress of you startup and affects productivity should be treated as a serious issue and dealt with appropriately.

Prevention makes perfect

What usually causes conflicts and fights in a startup is that inexperienced business owners often hire wrong people. If you decide to give advantage to people who are more skilful and more experienced than you, it might lead to their dissatisfaction once the business starts growing. Namely, if they have the role of employees and you, the owner, make more money than they do, it will lead to problems. This is why young startup owners should join forces with people of similar age and experience. That way they will keep developing together with the business and adapt their relationships to new conditions.

Cut to the chase

When you realize that you are not properly awarded for your work or, even worse, that other people are taking credits for your efforts, your reaction needs to be quick and effective. But here is the tricky part – you should under no circumstances lose control or go berserk. Rage will block the rational part of your brain. Your complaints will seem irrelevant. If others are trying to provoke you to react in an unaccepted way, keep calm and do not show any emotions. The key move is to talk to every person with whom you have a problem and try to figure out what generates conflicts between you and them. Stay friendly, but try to prove your point and win the discussion related to your conflicts.

Teach employees how to communicate

Communication is one of the burning issues in every business, no matter whether it is a multinational company or a small startup. The way managers address their employees, as well as communication among employees can affect the productivity and cause serious interpersonal problems. This is why it is important for business owners to understand the importance of proper communication. They need to make a strategy whose main goal will be attending and organizing courses of business communication. It will teach employees how to dress for work, what topics to avoid in the office and other techniques to eliminate conflicts at work.

Curb the abuse of workers

In many companies that have to deal with conflicts, it is not workers who cause problems, but team leaders and managers. They often fail to treat their employees in a professional way. According to a survey conducted by Cosmopolitan and published by Huffington Post, about 33% of US women have been sexually harassed at work. In the light of these dramatic figures, it is important to stress out that verbal abuse is also considered serious harassment. Startup leaders need to be strict about these things and fire toxic managers, as well as workers that create bad atmosphere in the business. Such a move will earn them their employees' respect and ensure business prosperity. 

Avoid taking sides

As a business owner, you should treat all your employees equally, the way an honest teacher approaches their students. When you come across a problematic situation, listen to both sides. Talk to other employees, as well. You need to gather as many details as possible. While it is hard to expect that a busy startup owners can spend time solving their workers' conflicts, in small startups this is still doable. Only when your startup reaches the number of 50 or so workers should you form an HR team for such situations.

To conclude, conflicts should not be regarded as something fatal, but rather a normal part of every business. However, they should definitely not be encouraged, but resolved as soon as possible, to keep your good employees by your side and let your business grow.