I almost used the phrase creative conflict but didn’t because sometimes people oddly believe that creative conflict isn’t real conflict. But mostly that comes from the fact that many people misunderstand what conflict is. Conflict is not bad.
Conflict is simply the expression of difference on a topic. It doesn’t have to be a bad thing at all. In fact, that’s the whole purpose of this post. Conflict brings the concerns and risks to the surface. Encouraging conflict is in many ways the same as encouraging ideas to be escalated to be considered.
Disagreements are healthy because they keep the team on their toes. If you know you have to defend your ideas then you are going to ensure you’ve put at least a little effort behind them. Disagreements ensure that groupthink doesn’t set in with everyone just saying yes. They also make sure that the team doesn’t put simple, uncomplicated friendship ahead of getting the job done. Friendship between coworkers is good but it can’t get in the way of getting the best results.
So are you encouraging the right level of conflict on your team or are you trying to squash any dissension in the sake of temporary peace.