Poor Communication

Communication is fundamental to the smooth running of any organisation or in fact with any interaction between people. Recently I have experienced or become involved with disagreements where is becomes obvious to the outsider that the problem has been very poor communications in point of fact some of these disputes cannot be unravelled as the communications have got so bad that each individual has become intransigent and slips into the I'm right your wrong argument style. 

One involves two companies who despite advice they both consistently ignore basic business rules around planning and contracts. This has resulted in a dispute which has degenerated into verbal assaults and liablous emails flying about.  

How to solve these reputation destroying and ultimately business closing situations?

It's rather like the letters that have appeared out of the Good Friday Peace Agreement. Finding out that negotiations rely upon two things, one is both sides knowing what they want and secondly how much they will give up to get what they want. If that isn't there then there are no negotiations finally without communication there is nothing. 

Be open, have a plan, have agreements in the clearest language possible. Expect things to wrong. All these equal success.