“65% of startup teams fail due to founder conflict”
Harvard Professor, Noam Wasserman
THE FOUNDER’S DILEMMAS
WHAT IS CONFLICT?
As humans, disagreement, debate, and negotiation are all natural aspects of our interactions. However, it’s how we handle these situations that defines us and determines our outcomes. At SpatzAI, we view disagreement as a healthy aspect of team collaboration, rather than a source of conflict.
That being said, we recognize that micro-conflicts can arise when disagreements are accompanied by behaviors that are disrespectful, biased, or coercive. Such behaviors include browbeating, ridiculing, or any other form of micro-aggression that can cause tension within teams.
Our mission is to provide teams with the tools they need to identify and address problematic behavior before it can escalate into harmful conflicts. We believe that teams can be a more productive and inclusive when all members know they are protected when expressing their ideas and perspectives.
“Conflict is an escalation of a disagreement….and is characterized by the existence of conflict behavior, in which (team members) are actively trying to damage one another.”
[Prof Michael Nicholson – Wikipedia]
THE PROBLEM
Disagreements among team members can sometimes lead to uncivil behavior from one or more individuals, which can have negative consequences for the team as a whole. Without adequate protection and protocols in place to address minor misconduct, team members may choose to ignore it or vent their frustration through gossip or other means.
Alternatively, they may react angrily to the misconduct, resulting in micro-conflicts that can fester and further erode team collaboration. Left unresolved, these micro-conflicts can ultimately lead to poor decision-making and performance for the team as a whole.
THE SOLUTION
In the event that minor misconduct or infractions, our platform provides team members with the tools needed to pause the debate and object to the offending behavior in real-time. By doing so, they can ensure that any offensive behavior is acknowledged and addressed immediately, before it can cause further harm to the team or its members.
“Build a culture of stopping to fix problems (including poor behavior), to get quality right the first time.“
The fifth principle of the Toyota Way
THE OBJECTION PROCEDURE
Our approach to addressing problematic behavior in real-time involves using a simple verbal caution to inform the offending team member of the perceived infringement and our discomfort. And according to the team charter a simple acknowledgment is necessary to move on.
However, if the issue remains unresolved – whether because it’s contested or ignored – we can inform the team member that we will use the SpatzAI app later, when we have time to document and try to resolve the spat. This way, we can hold team members accountable for their actions and help prevent minor issues from escalating into major conflicts that can harm team productivity and cohesion.
“Psychological safety is an atmosphere where one can take chances……….without fear and with sufficient protection.”
[EDGAR SCHEIN & WARREN BENNIS 1965 – PSYCHOLOGICAL SAFETY – WIKIPEDIA]
SPATZAI THREE-STEP INTERVENTION APP
- Caution – using the SpatzAI App to send the official caution, the grounds for it and the data collection begins for our Spat. If the offending person acknowledges his misbehavior they move on or if he challenge or ignores the caution the offended person can up the ante…..
- Object – an official objection is sent and now our Dispute requires a simple apology. If the offending person gives a simple apology for their misbehavior they move on or if he challenges or ignore the objection the offended person can up the ante once again…..
- Stop – is sent and the app automatically posts our Conflict onto the SpatzAI peer review network to be reviewed. Now the conflict requires an acceptable apology for a resolution, and if still unresolved or challenged….
The conflict goes to a vote with a chance to hear both sides and the Spatz machine learned AI and the Peer Review Network makes a recommendation on how to resolve the conflict.
DATA COLLECTION
At SpatzAI, we believe that data collected from the SpatzAI app can provide valuable insights into team dynamics, strengths, and areas for improvement. By leveraging machine learning algorithms, we can use this data to assist in resolving future conflicts and help teams become more effective.
Moreover, the SpatzAI app can also help investors and organizations evaluate team performance by comparing the team’s Spatz data with their work performance. This can enable them to predict a team’s future success and make more informed decisions about where to invest their resources. Ultimately, our goal is to help teams achieve their full potential and promote better collaboration and communication within organizations
SPATZAI VALUES – DECARRT
We use the following values to run SpatzAI and help keep us on track along with using the SpatzAI app. – and yes, we eat our own dogfood!
- Daring
- Enjoyable
- Considered
- Accountable
- Reasonable
- Responsible
- Transparent