Why Is Working With Some People so Hard?

Ever find yourself thinking, “Why is working with THIS person so difficult?” Maybe you have a team member who takes forever to make a decision, or someone who always wants to talk things out when you just want to get moving. It’s not just you—almost every business owner I know has felt this way at some point.

Here’s the thing: Most of the friction at work isn’t about the work itself. It’s about how we work together.

• You want to brainstorm, they want a checklist.
  
• You’re all about “why,” they’re stuck on “how.”
  
• You move fast, and they want to double-check every detail.

Sound familiar? These mismatches in style can make even the best teams feel stuck.

The Cost of Not Understanding Each Other

When you don’t “get” each other, it shows up everywhere:

• Tension in meetings
  
• Missed deadlines
  
• People feel unappreciated (or even think about leaving)

And let’s be honest—most of us don’t get a chance to really understand our coworkers before we’re thrown into the deep end together. Relationships at work take time, context, and trust. But if you don’t build that foundation, you’ll feel the pain in every part of your business.

Enter CliftonStrengths: The “Aha!” Tool for Teams

I’m not here to sell you on one tool or another but there IS a data-driven way to understand yourself and your team: CliftonStrengths.

CliftonStrengths isn’t about labeling people or putting them in boxes. It’s about uncovering what you naturally do best, and then figuring out how to use those strengths—yours and your team’s—to actually work better together.

Here’s what happened when I used CliftonStrengths with a business owner client:

Step 1: Holding Up the Mirror

First, we looked at the owner’s strengths. (Spoiler: most of us already have an inkling of what we’re good at, but seeing it in black and white is powerful.

For example, this owner’s top strengths were:

• Activator (loves to get things moving)
  
• Strategic (sees patterns and paths others miss)
  
• Relator (builds deep relationships)
  
• Achiever (wants to check things off the list)

This explained SO MUCH. The owner loved to start new projects and move quickly, but sometimes left the details behind. It also explained why working with team members who needed more time to process or who wanted to talk through every step felt so frustrating.

Step 2: Mapping the Team

Next, we mapped out the whole team’s strengths. This is where the lightbulbs really started going off.

• The office manager’s top strength was Deliberative—she wanted to think things through and avoid risks.
  
• The sales lead was high in Communication and Woo—he loved talking to people and building connections.
  
• The operations manager was all about Consistency and Discipline—she wanted clear processes and hated surprises.

Suddenly, all those “why are they like this?!” moments made sense.

Step 3: Building a Better Way to Work

Here’s the magic: once you know everyone’s strengths, you can stop fighting each other and start designing your business around how people actually work best.

• The owner learned to give the office manager time to process before making decisions—no more last-minute “let’s do this now!” emails.
  
• The sales lead got more opportunities to connect with clients, while the operations manager built the checklists and systems that kept everything running.
  
• Meetings became more focused: brainstorming for the big thinkers, clear action items for the doers, and space for everyone to contribute in their own way.

The result? Less friction, more clarity, and a team that actually enjoys working together.

The Ripple Effect: Why This Matters for Your Business

When you align your business around strengths, you get:

• Happier, more engaged employees
  
• Fewer misunderstandings and less drama
  
• Clearer roles and responsibilities
  
• Better results (and less stress for you, the owner)

And the best part? You don’t have to change who you are—or ask your team to be someone they’re not. You just need to understand each other and build systems that everyone understands.

Ready to Make Your Team Work (Without the Headaches)?

If you want to stop guessing and start building a team that actually works, CliftonStrengths is a great first step. Let’s make work less painful—and a lot more fun.

This is just one piece of the systems puzzle your business needs to be successful.

 I help business owners use tools like CliftonStrengths to create clarity, build better processes, and help everyone do their best work—without the pain.

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Ways to Work Together

If you are feeling trapped in your business and not experiencing the freedom you want, here are the three ways we can work together.

Accelerate is a 3-month mastermind designed to help you break through business roadblocks and create lasting change. For $1500, you’ll get a 1-hour deep dive with Stephanie, weekly mastermind coaching, fast email support, and exclusive access to all German Business Consulting resources. Stop feeling stuck, isolated, or overwhelmed—Accelerate gives you the support and clarity you need to move forward. Set yourself up for success and build a business you love.

Clarity Call: Ready to build a business that gives you true freedom? I create custom solutions tailored to your industry, goals, and vision of success—so you can love your business again. Click above to schedule a call to clarify your goals, tackle roadblocks, and see how we can work together.

Business Roadmap: This is for business owners who want clear, actionable next steps—not another generic course. Get a plan tailored to your business, clarity on what matters, and the resources to move forward. Walk away knowing exactly what to do—and what to ignore—so you can save time, money, and avoid years of frustration.

A fourth way, and I know I only said three, but sometimes I can’t help myself. If you are feeling stuck and are in need of resources, reach out. I am happy to point you in the right direction and even provide an asset of my own to help you move forward.