There is no such thing as a conflict-free work environment – disagreements are an inevitable, normal, and healthy part of relating to other people.
One of the reasons why teams don’t reach their full potential is because they are afraid to disagree, hurt people’s feelings or just lack courage to voice their opinion.
Here is what a healthy conflict leads to:
When co-workers push each other to seek a better approach, there is bound to be creative friction. Synthesizing diverse perspectives can lead to disagreements, but they help you weigh your pros and cons that eventually result in finding the best solutions.
Healthy conflict where teams can be honest with each other and work against a problem, as opposed to each other, helps strengthen relationships. Eventually as they overcome conflicts together, they become more comfortable in expressing their honest disagreements and become stronger as a team.
In an environment where teams trust each other enough to freely convey their opinion there is no room for politics. Everyone can confront each other knowing that it is in the best interest of the business and there is no hidden agendas.
Knowing that people are not afraid to disagree with your point of view ensures that you put in the best effort and research in your argument. You will consider more than one perspective and have answers that are well thought through to counter all possible objections.
Healthy conflict where teams can be honest with each other and work against a problem, as opposed to each other, helps strengthen relationships
With that in mind, how can one encourage healthy conflict at workplace:
While many of us go to great lengths to avoid conflict, embracing healthy conflict can challenge old assumptions, bring about positive change and strengthen relationships.
A collection of articles, trends and thoughts from our consultants at Curia. We strive to provide relevant content that will equip any business owner with information required to improve their business.