What do you do if your team in the Creator Economy is experiencing conflicts?

Resolving conflicts within a Creator Economy team involves several steps: 1. Address Communication Issues: Encourage open dialogue to understand underlying concerns and perspectives. 2. Identify Root Causes: Determine the source of conflict, whether it's differing creative visions, personality clashes, or workflow inefficiencies. 3. Mediation and Facilitation: Intervene as needed to facilitate constructive discussions and find common ground. 4. Establish Clear Guidelines: Define roles, responsibilities, and expectations to mitigate future misunderstandings. 5. Encourage Collaboration: Foster a collaborative environment where team members can leverage each other's strengths and work towards shared goals.

I get hired by companies to solve for alignment and fit. Alignment is mainly associated with the executive team (and therefore their teams) being on the same page with their strategic narrative and how that transcends to stakeholders (both inside and outside of the company). On the flip side, I also work with individuals and by default teams that are trying to find their fit in the organization or if they are right for the company. When you combine someone's fit with the strategic narrative of the organization, you start to understand the concept of flow and harmony. What used to be soft skills are actually now power skills. Alignment leads to clarity and context. Understanding one's skillset and capacity is key knowledge.

Clearly defining each team member's roles and responsibilities can help minimize conflicts by reducing ambiguity and overlap. Ensure that everyone understands their duties and how they contribute to the team's goals. This clarity can prevent misunderstandings and promote accountability.

Start by ensuring that each team member understands their roles and responsibilities clearly. Clear definitions help minimize misunderstandings and conflicts arising from ambiguity. Regularly revisit these roles and expectations to adapt to changing circumstances and ensure alignment with team goals.

Clarify each member's responsibilities, deadlines, and standards. Use contracts, project management tools, and feedback systems to align. Examples: A YouTube duo could create a shared document outlining each person's tasks and timelines for every video The head of a creator collective might establish a formal onboarding process to set expectations for new members

Embrace the diversity of perspectives, backgrounds, and working styles within your team. Recognize that differences can lead to innovation and creativity. Encourage an environment of mutual respect where everyone feels valued and heard, regardless of their differences.

I believe from my experience, this comes down to empathy and expression. And, most importantly taking a moment to have an IRL conversation so you can share feedback and conversation. As a leader, I have literally pulled people together in a room and asked them to have a conversation about their differences and perceived gaps to see if they can find a resolution. I believe in a straight forward approach to get to the heart of the differences. This is really a lateral thinking way to find harmony. Different inputs make a better outcome.

Embrace the diversity of perspectives, backgrounds, and working styles within your team. Encourage an environment where everyone feels valued and respected, regardless of their differences. Recognize that diverse viewpoints can lead to innovation and better problem-solving.

Appreciate the varied backgrounds and perspectives in your team. Avoid assumptions; instead listen, ask questions, and empathize. Examples: A podcast co-host could schedule regular check-ins to understand their partner's creative goals and challenges The HR lead at a creator agency might arrange diversity and inclusion training for all employees

I believe this comes down to creating a User Manual for each individual in the company. An owners operating manual of sorts. Have everyone spell out their communication preferences. Decision making style. Work style. As well as how they see meetings. Pet peeves. Expectations. One persons phone call, is another persons Slack. One persons email is another persons text. But, if you don't know that, you will likely just do what you would do vs. what they would do.

Use appropriate channels, be concise and respectful. Focus on solving problems collaboratively. Examples: An artist and their manager could agree on a primary communication method (e.g., email) and expected response times A gaming clan's leadership might hold weekly meetings to openly discuss any conflicts and brainstorm solutions

Express feelings appropriately, seek support when needed. Practice self-care and mindfulness to stay balanced. Examples: A solo creator could join a mastermind group for emotional support and accountability The wellness committee at an influencer marketing firm might organize stress management workshops

This source goes back to my Harvard course on Negotiations and the wonderful book, "Getting to Yes" by Fischer. The main thing I remembered all of these years later is - BATNA. The Best AlternativeTo No Agreement. Meaning - what is your best opportunity to land a deal or a compromise verses achieving NO AGREEMENT. If both sides will consider their BATNA's - then you will come to understand the gaps, options and chasms that will need to be closed to achieve some level of agreement. A one-sided winner take all agreement does not last over the long term. It creates resentment and deep underlying tensions that fester over time.

Identify everyone's needs, explore options that work for all. Be flexible and honor agreements. Examples: Two writers collaborating on a novel could list their non-negotiables and areas of flexibility, then find a middle ground A creator startup's co-founders might bring in a mediator to help fairly divide equity and responsibilities

Treat conflicts as learning opportunities. Reflect on insights and celebrate overcoming challenges together. Examples: A band could hold a post-mortem after each tour to discuss what worked, what didn't, and what to improve The CEO of a creator platform might share their own story of resolving a cofounder conflict to model growth mindset