When you run a business with a partner or co-owner, disagreements can devolve into a power struggle at work. Although all business partners will disagree from time to time, conflicts that are consistently handled with distrust and disrespect usually lead to disaster. Here’s what you need to know about navigating a power struggle in the workplace.

How Do You Deal with Difficult Business Partners?

Are you constantly butting heads with your business partner or co-owner when making decisions about your organization? Here are the best ways to resolve the conflict.

1. Don’t make assumptions. So many disagreements between business partners stem from simple miscommunications. Make sure you understand your partner’s position clearly before responding.
2. De-escalate the situation. Do whatever is possible to remove tension. Push back deadlines to relieve some pressure. Take some time away from each other to think it over, then reconvene to discuss the problem with a clear head.
3. Take the high ground. You don’t have to sink to their level even if your partner is. By disagreeing respectfully, even in the face of bad behavior, you can reset the tone of the discussion and diffuse some of the heightened emotions that can crop up when stakes are high.
4. Leave your employees out of it. Do not, under any circumstances, ask your employees to take sides in your conflict. You hold a position of power over them, and they have the most to lose from getting involved.
5. Consult a third party. If the situation between you cannot be resolved, consider bringing in a mediator. This can be a professional counselor or any other trusted third party who can give sound advice. Be sure to choose someone both sides feel comfortable with so no one thinks they are being singled out.

How to Navigate Company Power Struggles as an Employee

Dueling co-owners can be challenging for employees. Here are some tips to survive a power struggle in the workplace.

• Refuse to take sides. Taking sides, even when the stakes are low, will contribute to the perception that you’re loyal to one owner over the other. Even when it seems clear that one business partner is wrong, know you might not have the whole story. Don’t become a confidant for one to badmouth the other.
• Decide if it’s worthwhile to stay. A few storms can be weathered, but you might need to consider looking for a new job if there is constant conflict. Turmoil between owners can quickly translate to trouble for the future of the business.
• Prepare for the worst. If you are determined to stay in this job, either because you’re getting something out of it or because you have a fixed end date like retirement in mind, you will need to brace yourself for chaos. Working in a tense environment can be stressful in the long term. Create firm work-life boundaries so you don’t take the job home.

Depending on your bosses’ temperaments, you should talk to them about how their power struggle in the workplace impacts your work. That said, know that you may lose your job despite trying to remain neutral. It’s worthwhile to have your resume updated, just in case.

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Coach Dave