Disputes with other parties can cause significant stress and impact your business relationships. This is a simple guide to help you deal with disputes.
Step 1: Understand the Dispute
The first step in resolving a dispute is to understand it. You should gather all the relevant facts and assess how it affects your relationship with the other party:
- If you have a written contract, read it carefully and make sure you are in the right.
- If it has a dispute resolution clause, follow its steps.
- If you do not have a written contract, gather evidence about the work performed.
Once you understand the dispute, you can move on to the next step.
Step 2: Talk to the other party
The next step is to talk to the other party. You can call them if the dispute is minor, but a face-to-face meeting can be more successful for more complex issues. It would be best if you prepared for the discussion by considering how the dispute started and what the key issues are. Stay calm and professional during the discussion and be prepared to negotiate and compromise:
- Request a meeting to discuss the problem.
- At the meeting, explain your concerns and listen to the other party's side of the story.
- Try to find a solution that works for you both.
Keep a record of discussion and outcomes – this may be helpful if the dispute is unresolved.
Step 3: Put it in writing
