For any founding team, conflict is inevitable and often beneficial. But company culture relies on genuine interactions, not just stated values. If leadership engages in negative, unproductive conflicts, it sets a poor example for a growth-oriented environment.
Fortunately, this dynamic can be transformed by learning to handle conflict healthily. Ian Schmidt, a strategic adviser at Trimergence, a firm that coaches leaders for greater effectiveness, spoke about this on a recent Build Mode episode. Schmidt emphasized the importance of updating personal operating systems.
“Businesses have a human operating system, which requires upgrading just like products and market strategies,” Schmidt explained. “We assist leaders and teams in mapping their operating system, assessing how they manage conflict and decision-making, and providing a noise-reduction algorithm.”
In practical terms, founders can develop conflict resolution frameworks early on, which, if effective, can scale with company growth.
Schmidt suggested a framework for handling conflict that founders, leaders, or team members can apply:
Pause and do an “internal 360” on what just happened
After a conflict, it’s vital to review the conversation and recognize your role. Avoid rushing a solution; instead, self-reflect, identify the incident, and consider its impact on others.
Connect this incident to a pattern
Conflicts are seldom isolated. Identify recurring behaviors. “How does this relate to my known behavior patterns?” Schmidt advised, noting that recognizing this can lead to greater understanding.
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Go to others who were impacted
Post-reflection, address team members affected by the conflict. Discuss your perceptions and the impact, take responsibility, and seek their feedback to recalibrate effectively.
This approach fosters trust and promotes constructive conflict within the team.
For more guidance on building your team, listen to the full Build Mode episode.
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