Most of us have been in teams or organizations where we've had conflict with
the people that we're working with around the ideas or decisions that we're
discussing. Conflict is natural. We all bring different life and work experiences
to the table. We all have different personality preferences and tendencies.
We're not all going to have the same ideas on how to approach policies,
programs or problems. But too often we get caught in this place where
conflict is perceived to be negative - something we want to avoid so that
we can maintain the harmony of our workplace. This could be because
some people want to avoid conflict at all costs, after all they still have to
work together. But this kind of artificial harmony isn't the answer.
Productive conflict is a vital part of teams and organizations that want to
push forward and do more. Without conflict, we're often stuck in this
artificial harmony where people don't express potentially innovative ideas
for fear that they may start conflict with others. ut if you're in a place
where you have a basis of trust, conflict can be extremely productive.
It can lead to increased innovation and greater trust on teams. It may
be an uncomfortable process, but good leaders and healthy teams
recognize that productive and healthy conflict is an important part of
how they function.