Healthy Conflict

And with so little modelling of healthy conflict, people become wary of it altogether. But a team who cannot manage conflict in a healthy way won't thrive because leaving opinions buried means they will pop up in another more disruptive form.

Patrick Lencioni describes a continuum of conflict from avoidance that creates a sense of artificial harmony to mean-spirited personal attacks. But there is a sweet spot that teams need to aim for to support healthy conflict.

Healthy conflict ensures a range of ideas and concerns can be aired, increasing commitment, creativity and engagement as people feel heard.

But there is no getting away from the fact that it's uncomfortable to disagree with someone, especially if you need to work with them every day. People are concerned they will hurt someone's feelings or risk ridicule or exclusion for ideas and opinions that are not shared or popular.

So having deliberate conversations about how your team manages conflict is a great start. Focus on discovering:

What are some of the beliefs we have about conflict that can hold us back or be helpful?

How do we put structures in place to support surfacing a range of perspectives?

What skills do we need to develop to feel confident expressing ourselves when we have a different opinion?

How do leaders normalise healthy conflict in their teams?

How well does your team do healthy and constructive conflict?