There are those individuals who seem to thrive on conflict. They seek it out or create it; it follows them like a wake behind a boat. At the other end of the spectrum are those who avoid conflict at all costs. They cringe at the first hint of disagreement.
Because these two extremes often catch most of our attention it can foster the notion that conflict is inherently negative or destructive. I would like to suggest however that not only is there such a thing as constructive conflict; I believe that it is an essential part of any high performing team. Constructive conflict is about ideas and issues not persons and personalities.
Teams that engage in constructive conflict focus their attention on the content of the discussion, the ideas and issues at the heart of the matter, not the persons or personalities that are involved. Teams that do this have honest discussions about the important topics that are essential to their success. It allows all team members to voice their opinions and thoughts without fear of embarrassment, ridicule, etc. Constructive conflict in the right context helps teams to avoid repeating discussions over and over again because all ideas were put on the table the first or second time through. Constructive conflict reduces ‘water cooler’ conversations because each person had the opportunity and was expected to share their thoughts at the appropriate time. And, constructive conflict encourages team members to risk and to think outside the box.
Destructive conflict on the other hand, works in the opposite way. It fosters hallway or ‘post-meeting’ conversations and further creates a spirit of mistrust and unhealthy competition. Destructive conflict creates fear in team members and encourages them to withdraw from important discussions rather than offering their valuable and necessary input. And I would also suggest that deconstructive conflict actually opens the door for greater incivility in the workplace because it detracts from rather than builds a healthy respect amongst co-workers.
Constructive conflict can only happen where there is trust. And it more readily happens when team leaders actually go looking for it; seeking out differences of opinions on key issues. In fact, an inherent strength of any great team is the presence of differences that can be honestly expressed and recognized. Often the best solutions to key problems come from a perspective that was never considered before. Good conflict based on inherent trust fosters the kind of interaction that is necessary in dealing with our current organizational challenges.
I am not suggesting that this is easy to do. In fact it takes a great deal of effort and self-awareness to make constructive conflict happen. But I do believe that it is essential to being a great team. In any group setting, conflict will inevitably happen; the question is whether it will be constructive or destructive.
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Constructive Conflict: Part One
Because these two extremes often catch most of our attention it can foster the notion that conflict is inherently negative or destructive. I would like to suggest however that not only is there such a thing as constructive conflict; I believe that it is an essential part of any high performing team. Constructive conflict is about ideas and issues not persons and personalities.
Teams that engage in constructive conflict focus their attention on the content of the discussion, the ideas and issues at the heart of the matter, not the persons or personalities that are involved. Teams that do this have honest discussions about the important topics that are essential to their success. It allows all team members to voice their opinions and thoughts without fear of embarrassment, ridicule, etc. Constructive conflict in the right context helps teams to avoid repeating discussions over and over again because all ideas were put on the table the first or second time through. Constructive conflict reduces ‘water cooler’ conversations because each person had the opportunity and was expected to share their thoughts at the appropriate time. And, constructive conflict encourages team members to risk and to think outside the box.
Destructive conflict on the other hand, works in the opposite way. It fosters hallway or ‘post-meeting’ conversations and further creates a spirit of mistrust and unhealthy competition. Destructive conflict creates fear in team members and encourages them to withdraw from important discussions rather than offering their valuable and necessary input. And I would also suggest that deconstructive conflict actually opens the door for greater incivility in the workplace because it detracts from rather than builds a healthy respect amongst co-workers.
Constructive conflict can only happen where there is trust. And it more readily happens when team leaders actually go looking for it; seeking out differences of opinions on key issues. In fact, an inherent strength of any great team is the presence of differences that can be honestly expressed and recognized. Often the best solutions to key problems come from a perspective that was never considered before. Good conflict based on inherent trust fosters the kind of interaction that is necessary in dealing with our current organizational challenges.
I am not suggesting that this is easy to do. In fact it takes a great deal of effort and self-awareness to make constructive conflict happen. But I do believe that it is essential to being a great team. In any group setting, conflict will inevitably happen; the question is whether it will be constructive or destructive.
This entry was posted on Monday, September 19th, 2011 at 12:40 pm and is filed under Comments. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.