My teammate is an arse

You and a teammate may be arguing over a commission credit. Or something else, like account ownership.

But they also might be your best ally on the next opportunity.

Before involving your manager in the countless disputes that arise in The Sales Life, invite your teammate to figure out the resolution.

You may still disagree, but don’t win the argument and lose the teammate. You need as many friends on the front line as you can get.

Before your next tiff with someone in your org, keep this approach in mind:

1. What are the facts of the issue…through your eyes.

2. How does your teammate see the situation?

You won’t be able to collaborate on a solution unless you separate the facts from the emotion. That’s why both objectivity and empathy matter.

If you are still at loggerheads, ask your manager for insight. Protect the relationship as carefully as you protect potential commissions.

No matter the size of the issue, teammate conflicts aren’t fun. As you know, it takes patience and a calculated, mature approach.

Just be glad you’re not fighting over something trivial like burger barbecue techniques, as you’ll see in this hilarious 4-minute Key & Peele vignette.