#22 Effective Strategies for Business Conflict Resolution with Dana Garnett

Ever wondered how mediation can transform your business conflicts into opportunities for growth? Join us as Dana Garnett, the founder of Mindful Strategy, unpacks the crucial distinctions between mediation, arbitration, and litigation. Dana reveals how mediation serves as a proactive, cost-effective approach to conflict resolution that can save your business from the pitfalls of litigation. With real-life examples and actionable advice, she demonstrates how early intervention through mediation not only fosters stronger business relationships but also significantly reduces stress and anxiety.

Navigating the intricate dynamics of family businesses and partnerships can be a minefield of conflicts. Dana delves into the unique challenges of these environments, sharing insights on the importance of imparting conflict resolution skills early and ensuring emotional alignment in business agreements. By highlighting common issues such as strategic disagreements and succession planning, she illustrates how effective communication and understanding can prevent conflicts from escalating into expensive legal battles. Learn how to maintain harmony and productivity by addressing conflicts constructively and promptly.

Dana also shares three pivotal strategies for business owners to handle conflicts effectively. By stressing the need for genuine commitment, openness to different approaches, and the transformative power of one individual to change conflict dynamics, Dana provides a clear roadmap to a respectful and productive work environment. Additionally, we explore the role of emotional intelligence and external support in resolving workplace conflicts. With practical examples and personal experiences, Dana underscores the importance of early intervention and continuous learning to maintain a healthy business atmosphere.

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Transcript

Intro: 0:13

Ready to get the inside scoop on equity funding? Tune in to TDJ Equity Funding Insiders Podcast for an in-depth look at what it takes to access financial capital and maximize your investments. Hear from experienced professionals, including bankers, underwriters, loan officers and industry experts, as they share their unfiltered stories and valuable lessons on securing funds. Securing funds.

Jacquelyn Jackson: 0:47

Welcome back to another episode of the TDJ Equity Funding Insiders podcast. Today we have a very special guest co-host joining us who brings a wealth of knowledge and experience in the realm of conflict resolution. Meet Dana Garnett, the founder and owner of Mindful Strategy. Dana is a seasoned mediator and conflict strategist with a deep passion for helping business owners and professionals navigate the complex landscape of interpersonal and organization conflicts. With her expertise, dana has guided countless clients toward peaceful and productive resolutions, ensuring their businesses thrive even in the face of disputes. As you all know, we are a funding company and we wind up seeing a lot of this at the closing table the conflicts that the owners have with each other, the partners that they have. So our team felt it was very important to bring someone on like Dana to come in and talk to us about dealing with conflict in our business and things of that nature. So it is an absolute, absolute pleasure to have her with us today. I want to welcome you, thana, to our podcast.

Dana Garnett: 2:07

Thank you, Jackie. It is an absolute pleasure to be here and I just want to say how much I appreciate what you do for your clients in helping to save them unnecessary angst at any point along the road in working with you.

Jacquelyn Jackson: 2:20

Well, thank you, and that is what we're about trying to deal with the pain of what our clients come, because you know getting money in the first place is painful. I mean, you talked about that, we've talked about this before. You know you come to get money when you don't actually, you come when you need it. So the same thing with you, with what you deal with, is when they come to you, like me, it's maybe a little bit too late. So we want to start off with you explaining that. Let's go into where you can explain what mediation is and how it differs from other forms of conflict resolutions, like the arbitration and the litigation Sure.

Dana Garnett: 2:55

Absolutely, and I, just before I go there, just to say that what I do for my clients. I help free them from anxiety and give them a whole new lease on their business and their life. And these clients are business owners who are in conflict with each other, and the mindful strategy piece is a really simple process that helps them get to the heart of things quickly, clear the deepest triggers fast and neutralize that situation so that they strengthen those relationships and not sever them. So when we're talking about conflict, like you just said, too often people come to me very late. Everything's boiled up and they're trying to put out a fire, and I get that. It's like why don't people get cybersecurity insurance? You know?

Intro: 3:46

that kind of thing, Before you need it.

Dana Garnett: 3:48

Why don't they get with you before they need it, or me, right, but so yeah. So, going back to what you asked, litigation, arbitration and mediation, okay, so kind of a basic definition. Litigation involves parties that are in it. They've filed a lawsuit against each other.

Jacquelyn Jackson: 4:08

Okay.

Dana Garnett: 4:09

Okay, and you can have legal representation attorneys for each party, or you might be pro se. You decide to go this on your own and you don't have to have attorneys, but that's the choice of the parties. But that said, litigation has basically three ways of resolving. I'm going to put that in quotes resolving the conflict Either you settle or the judge, called an arbitrator, will listen to all the parties involved in a case and it doesn't have to be something necessarily filed, but they listen to this case. It helps save from litigation, actually, and the arbitrator decides the outcome. Oh, okay, and that's a legal binding document or contract.

Dana Garnett: 5:07

Mediation is also having a neutral professional to work with the parties. But they are there to guide the parties through a process that helps them get down to their own ideas and their own terms for the agreement. So, for example, a mediator does not advise, oh, guides the process, gotcha, to lead the parties to what can become a mediated settlement agreement. And in that process just as a comment about advising some people will think the mediator can give them legal advice, and mediation ethics actually preclude that Even if you're an attorney, or whether you're an attorney or not, you can be a mediator either way, but you are not to give legal advice. So, parties who come pro se to a mediation, they need to be able to get their own legal information elsewhere.

Dana Garnett: 6:09

And I will say on the outset if you're in a serious conflict situation involving your business or your life in some way, yes, pro se is a way to go, but you just might need legal advice. And I say get it. That's why attorneys are there. You need that advice. But I will say you don't need to lawyer up. So I'll say that again. You may need legal advice. So I say get it right, that's what attorneys are for. But you I would highly recommend you don't lawyer up. That's what takes you down that slippery slope of litigation, costly and and you know, and I will say that mediation, as I mentioned earlier, settlements and option for litigation to end when you mediate in a in a court case the problem and I love mediation, I'm a mediator and I do it all the time but what I see is mediation comes way too late in the legal process and the mediated settlement agreement that you walk away with is usually something that not everybody got what they wanted.

Jacquelyn Jackson: 7:25

It's more of you settle. You got to take it, you settle.

Dana Garnett: 7:27

Yeah, but it is not real resolution.

Jacquelyn Jackson: 7:31

I could see that.

Dana Garnett: 7:32

So I'm sitting here with parties wishing I could have helped them way before they even got to this place. So mediation has its place and it's good to have that because it is the only between mediation, arbitration, litigation. It's the only thing where the clients have complete control of their destiny.

Jacquelyn Jackson: 7:52

Oh, wow.

Dana Garnett: 7:52

They get to decide if they're going to sign that agreement or not, because that's also binding by law. Okay, okay Now, because settlement in mediation is not real resolution. What I started doing years ago is seeing how can I help people, particularly business owners, to not even get to mediation. That's way down the pike and walking away with something that they're still not happy with. And all that disgruntledness and that resentment and maybe leftover anger stays with you, oh, wow. And in the world of health and well-being, whenever you have that state if you will and you're not over it, that's basically stress turning under the radar all the time. Yes, ma'am, it is, and stress is basically a form of dis-ease. It's the opposite of ease. And what does dis-ease become over time? Disease, wow, yeah, yeah, right. So you don't want conflict to just get settled, you want to really resolve it, so you don't suffer the health challenges down the road Seriously.

Jacquelyn Jackson: 9:04

And so, again, you saying something we want to talk about in the show this earlier and that's why we got you here, because you know how to cover every basis of everything but something that you said that when it comes to that conflict, that I think, like I said, they come and they don't have that at the time they need it, it's going to be more detrimental for them in the long term. Now let me show you how it works with us. When we have a person come in and they have a partnership and they haven't dealt with any unresolved issues, now we don't know what it is. We're loan brokers. You're bringing everything. You're bringing all the documents, you're bringing all the papers, but what happened?

Jacquelyn Jackson: 9:40

We have found, eventually, someone doesn't want to do what you thought they wanted to do and you're in a mid run of an application process for 1.5 million. This is my thing. You don't want to find that out in the process of you getting a loan, that you have some unresolved conflicts. That is going to affect your business. This is why we got. We have data to come on so you all can see what she has and what's going on, because it does affect you when it comes to getting funding if you haven't dealt with it.

Jacquelyn Jackson: 10:12

So the part that we're going to talk more that you hadn't mentioned is about the part before we. Now, I know she's a mediator, we got you down as a mediator and conflict strategy. We know that. Okay, she's that. But before we go there, let's learn. Hopefully you all can pick up the part she's going to tell you before you get to mediation because, like she said, she cannot guide you anyway, but before that she can't if you come to her, before you go toward that, that litigation. So if you would talk more on what happens before you prevent, absolutely yeah.

Dana Garnett: 10:45

I mean it's so possible to resolve any kind of complex conflict, even if you're a family business, for example, and it's conflict or complex generational conflict. If you actually really want to resolve it, you can do that early on and never have to even think about mediation or arbitration or a lawsuit. So this is why I started working with clients one-on-one and doing workshops with companies years ago because I was seeing in mediation.

Dana Garnett: 11:19

I wish I could impart these conflict resolution skills to these parties to the process. But that's not the place for it. Mediation is not a teaching opportunity. But what if I could teach business owners to understand how to clear whatever's been going on, clear those deepest issues, and then, at the same time we're doing that, imparting skills or up leveling, basically their communication skills?

Jacquelyn Jackson: 11:50

Right.

Dana Garnett: 11:50

So that down the road, when new stuff comes up and it's going to Risk man, they know how to dance with it. Because when, anytime humans interact, conflict exists. So it's not about trying to avoid conflict, you just are trying to avoid unnecessary escalation of conflict, gotcha, you know. And so if people and Jackie, one of the big things about this is we're not taught this in school. No, ma'am, and this extends beyond business Just people, humans interacting with each other If we actually had any clue how easy it is to connect with somebody on a different level and not have all this blow up and become a very expensive, timely process. So let me say this, not breaking you up, but you're saying it's okay to disagree, oh, totally, and that's what I think.

Jacquelyn Jackson: 12:43

we don't. We take we so emotional and the thing is, I don't know what make us think that you, we emotional, is. Business person is personal. I don't know why we think once we start a business, we're not going to be emotional anymore.

Dana Garnett: 12:56

Yes, you are. Oh, it's all about emotion. It's all about emotion. Yeah, we put business on the front of it and think we're not supposed to be emotional.

Jacquelyn Jackson: 13:03

Yeah, it's only emotional and I think what's great and that's why I like you being here and I really encourage that our business owners reach out to you or someone like her, because you have somebody that's outside, that's professional and know how conflict resolution should look. If you're an owner of a daycare, that is not your job, you don't know how to deal with it, but guess how much conflict. You have parents, you have your workers, you have your other managers. So if you don't have that skills, guys, it's okay, it's okay. If you don't have it, get the skill, get skilled, and that's where you're going to come in and you can help them.

Jacquelyn Jackson: 13:40

Because, like I'll be honest, guys, I would wanted her about, oh, about mediation and how you handle it and how you meet with them and you know when you go to court and all this stuff. And she said no, no, no, If I can, jackie, I want to talk to them before they get there, because that's the major problem that can be resolved. Am I correct? Absolutely and Absolutely. And so she's running my podcast, guys, today, and that's okay, I'm gonna let her run it because she's correct and she knows what she's talking about. So, when I was dealing with that kind of conflict. What is? What is the type of conflict? You see majority that's like in business. Sure, exactly.

Dana Garnett: 14:14

Well, um, and thank you for all that. I want to get the message out, you know. So one of the things I see in businesses is a clash of business strategy or operational values.

Jacquelyn Jackson: 14:28

Okay, explain that. Give me an example.

Dana Garnett: 14:29

Well, just like, which direction is the business going to go? What kind of campaign are we going to run? Oh, I don't agree with that. I think our market should be this. No, I think we should be spending more on advertising here. I think we need to bring on this person. I don't think we need that person. I mean just general strategy and how to run the company. A second thing that I often see is feelings of unfairness.

Dana Garnett: 14:51

Perhaps you've got partners two or more that feel like maybe somebody is not pulling their weight Right. Okay, they're in equal share, but not everybody's pulling their weight.

Dana Garnett: 15:05

Not doing their part, not doing their part, exactly, exactly, yeah, yeah. And then another one, a famous one, is rivalry, and succession Doesn't have to be a family business necessarily, but sibling rivalry. Or people are competing for that next top position, right, and? Or who's going to take over the business? And the challenge is here you may have a business partnership agreement, which I call a business prenup, right, and it's all written down on paper. But just like you could have a mediated settlement agreement all written down on paper, not everybody may have really fully been aligned with that partnership agreement emotionally and I haven't thought of that time. It was signed exactly.

Jacquelyn Jackson: 15:51

You know what and when they're not emotionally attached. You know when we take we can find out you're not emotionally attached to whatever that agreement was. The process of getting money, thank, we find that out real quick. That she realized. You know, I don't think I want us to get this much. I thought we could get. I had one client I'm serious. She said I thought we were getting 400,000. What do you mean? We're qualified for 1.9 million.

Jacquelyn Jackson: 16:14

Well, the guys, the other partners, say well, hey, we're growing, we finna go to Colorado, we finna buy this, this, and that I think it'd be great. Do you know? She did not go, but she was 50 percent. Oh, that was. We were all like are you serious? So, like you said, he didn't think it was a problem. He said I knew how she was, I knew how miss Linda did things, but I didn't think she would come to this point because that's why we said resolution before they got there. You need that. So I think this and you tell me what you think Anybody that has a partnership in business, I think they should make an appointment to at least meet with you.

Dana Garnett: 16:52

Oh my, you know I cannot. I cannot think how many times I have said I wish there was a requirement yeah, some kind of a requirement for people to have to go through a conflict management skills, you know, training to before you get into partnership. You know it goes back to insurance, right? Right, we insure our companies for theft and liability in the storms of mother nature, but do we ever think about preventing our business from the storms of human nature?

Jacquelyn Jackson: 17:22

Wow, seriously, that says a lot.

Dana Garnett: 17:24

It says when humans interact, there's conflict. How do you keep those emotional storms from blowing things up? But the thing is, people get insurance for their car because they have to. It's the law, right.

Jacquelyn Jackson: 17:35

Regulate it.

Dana Garnett: 17:36

Liability insurance, but cyber, no, regulate it Exactly.

Jacquelyn Jackson: 17:39

You got to do it, and so any other kind of agreement you know, so I mean I know we can't, I can't enforce that, but we strongly, strongly recommend, you know, and I think, what even with my being in certain business, I haven't had a conflict resolution with someone, I hadn't went through the process that you say, but I have been through dealing with other mediation type things and I can actually see how, having you in the beginning of my business, just to learn it and I'm going to tell you something else that I thought of while you were just talking, because I have business clients, I have clients that have problem with people underneath them, the management and I just realized that's a conflict.

Jacquelyn Jackson: 18:20

You need to talk to a conflict resolution to show you how to handle it, because you know what, as an owner of a business, we don't know if we crazy as ketchup, you just don't know you are. Everybody else know you are, but you don't know. So if you have a conflict, I think when you're coming in you can actually work on that part. That helped them to be the type of leader they need, because conflict is going to come. But we do not take a class for conflict resolution.

Dana Garnett: 18:44

No, we don't. We don't and sadly, it's costly when we don't have those skills. It's costly. It is Time, money wasted. We make poor decisions when we are conflicted because we don't see the big picture. We don't have the fresh perspective. That's true and that is one of the big problems with that Missed opportunities.

Outro: 19:08

Right.

Dana Garnett: 19:08

And let me tell you what your clients pick up on the vibe when you guys are not in harmony with each other. And I'm not talking verbally, I'm talking. They just know.

Jacquelyn Jackson: 19:20

Right.

Dana Garnett: 19:21

And going back to that example, you used the gentleman that thought he knew his partner. We think a lot about what we think we know, but until you actually work through things you don't know and honestly, what I have found nine times out of 10, what the heart of that issue is when you get down to it and it's easy to get to it fast, but when you do get down to it, everyone's surprised, like I didn't know. That was the problem.

Jacquelyn Jackson: 19:44

Wow, wow.

Dana Garnett: 19:44

Yeah.

Jacquelyn Jackson: 19:46

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Outro: 20:41

Welcome to Frameworks Consortium, your partner for sustainable business success. Frameworks Consortium your partner for sustainable business success. Frameworks Consortium is your strategic guide, providing you with clear, actionable roadmaps to achieve your business goals. Our team of seasoned strategists provides expert guidance, ensuring you make informed decisions with clarity and confidence. We develop customized solutions that align with your unique business objectives, fostering growth and resilience in an ever-changing business environment.

Jacquelyn Jackson: 21:07

Connect with us today and harness the power of strategic planning for your business what do you think, what are some of the key strategies you think business owners can do to can help with the partner conflict?

Dana Garnett: 21:19

thing? Sure, and I love that question because I could say, oh, do this, this and this right. However, that's going to, with all due respect, that's going to fall on deaf ears, or are they're going to think they know what to do now for themselves before they really understand? Three key strategies, okay, okay, and these are in the form of questions. Number one do you really want to resolve this situation and again, with due respect, or is it lip?

Jacquelyn Jackson: 21:54

service. So you're basically saying ask yourself some questions?

Dana Garnett: 21:58

Yes, Do you read? Yes, and I'm like. These are the questions I ask people before I even work with them.

Jacquelyn Jackson: 22:04

Okay.

Dana Garnett: 22:05

Do you really want to resolve this? Okay, that's true, and because if you're just complaining and saying I just want to put a bandaid on this and fix this so we can move on, but you're not really wanting to really get this cleared, then I can't help you because you're not going to do what's necessary.

Dana Garnett: 22:21

And not going to be committed to it Exactly. And the second point is are you open to doing something different so you actually get a different result? It goes back to that definition of insanity. We've been spending for years. My partner does this, my partner does that, doesn't see it the way I do. Well, have you tried something different? And if you haven't, then you're not going to get a different result. And, sadly, the decisions we've been making up to this point in our life or in our business, we are where we are because of those decisions Exactly. But if you're open to trying something different, you're going to get a different result.

Jacquelyn Jackson: 23:01

And we have to be open for something different. And business owners, we usually don't be open for different and, you're right, that can add to the conflict. Exactly.

Dana Garnett: 23:10

And that goes back to your point about commitment. If you really want to get resolved and you are open to doing something different, doing what's necessary, and you really want to get resolved and you are open to doing something different, doing what's necessary, and you're committed to that, to committed to up-leveling your company, is that like the number three, what you said, that's number three, yeah, yeah. Now, those three things I mean, before we even talk about strategy, that's the big picture strategy, you know, making sure you really want to get this done. Once you've got that, if yes, yes, yes to those three things, yay, then the three things I want to make sure people understand is strategically, it only takes one person to shift the entire dynamics of a conflict. So let's say you and your partner are at odds with each other about something right.

Dana Garnett: 23:54

Okay, but your partner has told you please don't put me in front of somebody to try to work this out. I do not want to sit around the table and try to work this out. Maybe they're so upset, that's okay. You don't need everybody around the table. If you're the one who really wants to resolve it and you're open to what it takes and you're committed to put that time in and we're talking over a month or two you can get this thing resolved.

Jacquelyn Jackson: 24:20

Now you're saying wait, wait. Are you saying that you can work with just me? Yes, that's new Cause. I thought whoever I have a problem with in management or whatever, then they have to be there and we got to work this out with you, right and let me.

Dana Garnett: 24:35

this goes back to mediation. That's good. Yeah, it is, it's wonderful. This goes back to mediation. In mediation, let's say it's a court ordered case, right, and they order mediation.

Outro: 24:46

Okay.

Dana Garnett: 24:46

When people are told by the judge you've got to go to mediation. Nobody wants to be there. Who wants to be told you've got to work things out? So therein lies the challenge to even getting to a decent mediated settlement agreement to start. So if your partner does not want to work with you, that's okay, but if you really want to resolve things, you can do it on your own. Yeah, it just takes one person to shift the entire dynamics, and I'm proof, by the way, I went through a life crisis, discovered all of this. I became a mediator because of my own situation in life.

Jacquelyn Jackson: 25:20

Okay.

Dana Garnett: 25:21

And did a huge dive into the neuroscience of conflict. And when I picked up on all these skills and everything and lived through it myself and turned around things and got completely over, it was a huge divorce that involved some business properties with my now ex-husband I. Actually today we get along great. We go on vacations with our kids. I mean we have no issue. But you did that with you. Yeah, I did so. I was, I saw, and what he has done or not done in his life to work things through for himself, that's not for me to judge. Wow, and what I discovered was just by shifting my own perspective and changing from within, it changed everything and it gave our children at that time and now in life such relief.

Dana Garnett: 26:12

We can get together for anything weddings, funerals, graduations, holidays, you name it Our kids aren't going. Oh my God, please, mom, dad, don't blow up again. No, that never happens. But I don't mean that surreptitiously, I'm just saying it's real. And so when I started working with clients, I discovered I can teach them how to do this. I can actually help you by themselves, without the partner. Because what happens when you've got this going on right? People are clashing.

Intro: 26:38

Right.

Dana Garnett: 26:38

The other person learns how to show up differently, this goes away and there's nothing to hit on. That's why I say you get to the heart of it fast. That's a good one. Clear the deepest triggers, which neutralizes the situation and strengthens those relationships, and your partner may never even know you got help. If you want to tell them, that's fine. Hey, if your partner's on board and wants to work with you on it, please let's do it. But it does not require that. So that's that, once you are open to it and all that kind of stuff.

Dana Garnett: 27:10

That's one big thing I want people to know. Another one is that in the process, if you are the only person or if you are working together, it doesn't matter. I start with putting you first, and what's what sounds like it's counterintuitive, but people always say, put yourself in the other person's shoes yeah, we get to that at some point. But no one's going to want to do that unless they really value it, like they feel like I'm most important and and and putting yourself first is what we do first. And I help people to see why it's so important to resolve this conflict Because, at the end of the day, when we develop all these skills, understanding how to do this effectively is self-preservation. It goes back to that dis-ease Right and not having a stroke midlife. I've seen it happen.

Jacquelyn Jackson: 27:58

Right, it's real, it's real.

Dana Garnett: 28:00

Yeah, and not dying before we need to. I'm serious, conflict is a killer.

Jacquelyn Jackson: 28:06

It can eat you up. It can eat you up and that's why I think it's so wonderful and I was so happy my team when they was putting everything together to bring you on. We were all just having our little conference and conversation about you and we just looked at how it relates to our client base and who we have we deal with business owner and real estate investors. Real estate investors, we found out they seem to be you would think it's business owner, but I think real estate investors are the most frustrated group because the information they get is not right and it's always a conflict because, guess what, you conflict them with the contractors, you conflict them with the bank, you conflict them with the people that coming out to do you know partners and stuff like that, and they have and they don't know you need to get some type of help. And that's why the girls were saying, you know the other day, like man, they need to reach out to Dana. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Dana Garnett: 28:52

Yeah, life could be so much easier. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, life could be so much easier. And in fact, that's that's one of my. My mission in life is actually to help people manage their lives with greater ease, right, you know? And because because a big mantra of mine is happiness is not getting to a place in life with everything's okay and there's no more problem to solve. That's not realistic, right. Happiness is knowing whatever life throws you, you can handle it.

Jacquelyn Jackson: 29:17

Exactly.

Dana Garnett: 29:19

And the stuff we're not taught in school. I figured someone's got to get out there and try to help people sooner than later.

Jacquelyn Jackson: 29:26

And I think as business owners I'm being honest we just don't think about that, like you said.

Jacquelyn Jackson: 29:33

But I can see having bring up and let me say this because it's coming to me as you talk that, um, you're dealing with people with different personalities and backgrounds when you come to your office, when you come to a business and you hiring people and all of that, and everybody do good doing the interview and they do good for the next four or five months or whatever. But when conflict happened, you see a whole different how people deal and I think with you and I think we talked about a little bit you'll work with people before the conflict but you'll show them how to deal with it but also how to notice other things around before it get there. That's why I think they should get with you, because that's a good factor as a business owner, that you training me where you know you need to see where something is warm Cause you said it's not, the conflict is going to happen. You said don't try to get rid of conflict, we just don't want it to escalate, right, and that's why?

Jacquelyn Jackson: 30:19

Let me ask you this this is kind of. I've had a client say this to me that two of her employees were into it, you know. And she said you know, I'm not going to get into it, they're going to have to work that out. I said I, I think that's wrong. You're the manager, something need to be said. But she's like, well, no, they can do that on their own time, but shit that something need to be, you know.

Dana Garnett: 30:43

Yeah, I guess what I would say is what is it costing you in the business? To not help intervene and provide your employees or your associates the knowledge of how to work it through, because they were messing up on some of the work because of this conflict.

Jacquelyn Jackson: 31:02

They didn't want to talk to each other, so they were half doing the work so they wouldn't speak. But you got to speak because you're not as productive, you're not as effective. You are so right.

Dana Garnett: 31:10

Again poor decision making. I'm going to avoid this person, so I'm going to avoid doing this. And then the team shows up for the meeting. It's like why isn't this done yet? Well, i'm-.

Jacquelyn Jackson: 31:17

And that's what they run into. You are correct. Look at that. You didn't even talk to them, but you know what you're talking about and that's exactly what she did say there was a problem. I didn't think of it like that.

Dana Garnett: 31:26

And let me tell you what on behalf of that manager. Okay, there's a beautiful quote by Maya Angelou, which is everyone does the best they can with what they know at the time. If we knew better, we'd do better. So no judgment, no blame on anybody that hasn't considered getting involved to help their associates or their employees. But once you hear about the opportunity to you know, maybe there's a chance to bring in some training for your team.

Jacquelyn Jackson: 31:58

You know, if you see that these two people, yeah, some.

Dana Garnett: 32:01

I get a lot of calls from people saying you know, I've got this issue with these people. But I don't want to. I don't want to put a spotlight on it and make it look like I'm kind of, you know, calling them out by, by bringing somebody in just for them. You know what can I do? I'll say, well, you know, calling them out by bringing somebody in just for them. You know what can I do? I'll say, well, you can have a team, we can do team workshops, team training, so everybody you know part of. Well, maybe you have a well-being program or you've got, you know, training and development. You can bring in conflict management training like that that allows everybody to get the same thing, because if everybody knows how to do this, then it just up levels, everybody's skills.

Jacquelyn Jackson: 32:40

Exactly so, oh, wow. So basically, like I said, I know we as business owners we just do things cause we don't know, so I do appreciate you coming in and bringing that in. So if we could, before we end, can you give us any last um information that you would like the listeners to know before we leave?

Dana Garnett: 32:59

Absolutely, yeah. Yeah, I think you know we talked in preparing for this about emotional intelligence. Yes, and I just want to say how critically important that is, because without understanding emotional intelligence, you will not solve anything. Because, we said earlier, it goes back to emotion.

Jacquelyn Jackson: 33:20

It does.

Dana Garnett: 33:21

And until you understand, you really appreciate the physiological effect of stress and how stress affects our emotions. Our emotions affect our mental capacity and then our mental capacity. If it's stressed out for so long so we start feeling bad, the back starts to ache and the neck starts to ache and then we get diseases. Then we're so unhappy, you know it's miserable for everybody, you know. So understanding emotional intelligence is key, and that's I mean. A lot of my work is based in the neuroscience of conflict and that's how I learned all this myself and you will live longer. You will live longer and have a happier life if you understand that. If you are in conflict with your partner, I would highly recommend get help. Get help, don't wait, and you don't have to wait for your partner to want to work this out with you if they don't want to.

Dana Garnett: 34:19

That's okay and I would also say because business owners I appreciate as leaders, they feel like they know enough. They don't need certain you know skills or anything new to try to work out things in their organization. But I would highly recommend don't go it alone. There's too much writing on your business to not resolve things. Again, what's it costing you not to resolve things? Nip things in the bud before they blow up. And I base it on a very golden rule, if you will, for mediators. We are trained and taught do not mediate your own family, you know. And if your family is your business, I'm not saying you have to be related you could be Right but when you work together as much as you do, it's like a family, you know. So, mediators, you know I don't try to mediate my family. Why you may be the greatest negotiator, you might know everything about working things out with people, but everybody else can't see you as objective, right? That's the challenge.

Jacquelyn Jackson: 35:29

So you need to have somebody to come in and provide some help.

Dana Garnett: 35:32

Yeah, you have your expertise, you have yours, I have mine. My sweet spot is high stakes, high emotion, conflict and getting it resolved quickly and helping people really avoid all those pitfalls that could happen down the road and get back to business, to making money. Exactly, exactly. Oh, and one other thing even if you're of different cultures, you know from around the world it doesn't matter, right, the beautiful thing. Going back to emotional intelligence, because we are all humanly wired the same way and the mindful strategy process that I use, particularly, it cuts through cultural differences.

Outro: 36:15

Okay.

Dana Garnett: 36:16

Because we all have universal needs to be understood, to be heard, to be seen for who we are and respect.

Jacquelyn Jackson: 36:22

And respect.

Dana Garnett: 36:23

And so that you know it's. That's why I say it's. It's possible, no matter the circumstances, to resolve things.

Jacquelyn Jackson: 36:29

To resolve, and that's what we have to know, as business owners, that we can. Well, I want to thank you so much for coming and thank you for doing the recap and takeaway, because that's basically what it was and it was great. So I want to thank you for doing that, for coming. Hopefully you can come back and visit with us again.

Dana Garnett: 36:44

We'd love to Thank you, jackie. This has been fun, I really enjoyed this.

Jacquelyn Jackson: 36:48

I love this stuff. So, to my listeners, I want to thank you all for coming and being a part of our podcast listening group. If this information, as well as any information we've given you, is important, you can go to our website Now. On our website we do have that on desk. We'll be there that's linked, where you all can link up with her, get an appointment with her and see her. Okay, she's open for it and she's looking forward for you guys to touch her, so to reach out to her. Okay, she's open for it and she's looking forward for you guys to touch her, so to reach out to her. So if you want to learn more and be a part of our group and stay in contact with us, log on to our website at wwwtdjequityllcnet. Until next time, thank you and take care.

Intro: 37:32

We hope you enjoyed this episode of TDJ Equity Funding Insiders Podcast. If you'd like to be a guest or get in touch with us, please visit our website at tdjequityllcnet. Forward slash podcast or email us at podcast at tdjequityfundinginsidersnet. Until next time, take care.