Miscommunication is often the reason for conflicts

As every Monday Svea has a set of interesting questions that Mattias is going to answer from his entrepreneurial point of view.

1. How do you deal with conflicts within your team?

For Mattias, it is very important that his team resolve their issues with one another by themselves whenever possible. So whenever someone comes to him with a complaint about another person, he starts asking if they have been communicating with that person and actually expressed their feelings and concerns to them. In his experience, 9/10 times they have not done that prior. He likes to stay out of personal conflicts as much as possible because he does not want to end up creating a triangle of drama. The triangle of drama is the situation in which there is:

- A persecutor
The person who is e.g. blaming someone for something

- A victim
The Person who is getting blamed for something

- The rescuer
The person who wants to help the victim

The danger of being stuck in that triangle is that the blaming will only go back and forth and you as a helper might be attacked as well. Also, getting involved with everyone's problems can cost a lot of energy that you could definitely invest more wisely.

Svea talks about her take on a situation like that and has a similar approach as Mattias. She adds that she believes the root of most conflicts is usually miscommunication. If people tried to talk more openly about their feelings a lot of conflicts would not even evolve in the first place.

2. Do you work better in a team or by yourself?

Right off the bet, Mattias says that it would be quite hard trying to build a 100 person company by himself. He sees himself as a team player and explains that the most important role for him is being a leader in this scenario. To change things in the world and build a legacy it is crucial to develop and lead people the right way.

3. What is the most significant change that you brought to your company?

For Mattias, the answer to that question comes very easily. The most important change he brought to the company is the decision that he is making over and over again: work on himself. He is always open for feedback and makes sure to have an open heart because in one way his company can never become bigger than his own heart.

4. Is competition in a team healthy?

Mattias believes that competition in a team can be a very good thing. What he doesn't like is a corporate competition where everything is only based on checking off specific boxes and elbowing your way to the top. He wants to create a healthy environment where everyone who is working hard gets acknowledged.

💡 EPISODE TAKE AWAY
Avoid creating a triangle of drama.

How do you deal with conflicts within your team?