CEOs, founders and managers are more worried than ever about issues in their organization that they might not be aware of. We've seen a ton of stories come out recently around bad workplace environments, and business leaders know that for every really bad story, there are a thousand festering smaller issues that need to be gotten out in front of before they get worse.
That's why it's critical that they understand the one question that can fish out whether or not there are workplace issues lurking underneath the surface of their companies.
Here's the question... are you ready?
You sure?
Ok...
Ask yourself, "Does my company have more than one human working in it?"
If you answered "Yes" then your company surely has workplace conflict and issues. There is a 100% chance that when two individual humans work together in the same place, things will come up. It's perfectly natural, but it's also something they don't have good tools to work out on their own.
Bringing up conflict is difficult. First, a lot of people are embarrassed that they can't fix a situation on their own. They might feel like they're making a big deal out of nothing, even though it's making them more and more unhappy each day.
Second, even when a company does have outlets, like manager reviews or HR staff members, these relationships can easily be perceived as conflicted. Maybe you're not ready to talk to HR or the problem is with your direct boss, and you don't want to make the situation worse because you can't change your boss.
Whatever the reason, these issues most often manifest themselves in unexpected churn. How many times is the first hint of employee unhappiness the day they give notice about leaving?
At worst, these issues come out in headlines. In so many of the worst stories we've seen this year, there was a moment where someone could have head something off before the issue grew.
That's why Brooklyn Bridge Ventures recently funded Bravely.
Bravely that offers conflict and communication coaching for employees navigating issues in the workplace. Through Bravely’s application, employees can confidentially describe the issue they’re facing and schedule a phone consultation with a ‘Pro’, an expert coach or HR professional with deep experience in helping resolve conflict, structure effective communication plans, and develop skills for constructive work relationships.
Every single company has issues. Hopefully not all of them are as serious as the ones that make headlines, but 65% of performance problems are linked to strained personal relationships, which happens everywhere. Effective communication among colleagues, even for the small stuff that a lot of people let go, yields a significant impact on workplace wellbeing.
The secret sauce of Bravely is to help employees feel empowered--given them strategies and language toolsets to address acute issues right on the spot. Bravely is that first step; that safe place for venting, getting advice and putting a game plan together when you are not yet ready or lack the confidence to approach your boss or HR business partner.
I'm excited to work with Toby and Sarah, two experienced former startup pros, as well as my co-investors Primary Ventures, Trailmix, and Correlation.
If your workplace has more than one human working in it, there is absolutely no reason why you shouldn't talk to Bravely now.