Go ahead. Throw down the gauntlet (and encourage constructive conflict).
The last IMPACT blog dealt with the downward spiral of those never-ending arguments, but let’s be clear: disagreement in the workplace is not a bad thing. Conflict can be good if it is done in a non-harmful way—with the parties involved disagreeing without being disagreeable. In fact, conflict is often an essential part of good team interaction and good decision-making. A team environment in which team-members sit around simply nodding their heads in synchronization is often an unhealthy one.
According to Team Management Profiles, one of the psycho-metric assessments we like to use with teams we work with, “innovating is a key aspect of teamwork and involves challenging the way things are currently done.” This does not mean that teams should regularly reinvent every process, it just means that effective teams sometimes need to challenge the status-quo. And doing so can often lead to some tough and tense discussions or fights.
Further, when a team is making an important decision, considering disparate viewpoints and allowing space for the team to challenge conventional thinking can help the team arrive at a better final decision.
Whether the conflict is in a one-on-one or team situation, the important part is to fight fair. It may be a cliché, but it’s one worth repeating. Here are a few tips to help ensure constructive, rather than divisive, conflict:
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Agree on the ground rules: It is crucial to ensure that team-members have the space to share their idea or viewpoint without being cut-down or personally attacked by others. Here are some suggestions for ground rules a team could agree on:
- Park your emotions. Don’t make it personal. When disagreeing, focus on the content of the idea, not attacking the person who introduced it. Once someone at the table feels hurt or disrespected, he/she won’t be listening, they’ll be defending.
- Rein in rude non-verbal behavior (loud sighing, eye rolling, etc).
- Avoid invalidating other team-member’s opinions. Each person is entitled to their own opinion or perspective. Rather than making an invalidating statement like, “You don’t really think that, do you?” or “You can’t be serious,” try, “Help me better understand your perspective.”
- Be factual. Avoid opinions and stick to facts
- Be helpful. Rather than just point out problems, suggest possible solutions.
- Allow time for team-members to blue sky. Make it known that out-of-left-field-type ideas are welcome. Brainstorming can be a powerful tool!
- Make sure everyone has airtime. Use a facilitator trick: keep track of who has contributed and who hasn’t then draw out the person who hasn’t spoken up yet.
So next time you sense a conflict brewing within the team, don’t throw up the white flag. Let the disagreement unfold, adhere to the ground rules and see where it leads.
