3 Ways to Make the Best Out of Work Conflicts

Disagreements are a regular part of life, but when it comes to disagreements at work, the stakes are high. According to this 2018 Harvard Business Review article, well managed disagreements lead to:

-Better work outcomes

-Opportunities to learn and grow

-Improved relationships

-Higher job satisfaction

-More inclusive environment

A Conflict-Free Workplace ≠ A Happy Workplace. Here's 3 ways to create a culture that allows people to effectively disagree at work:

1) When brainstorming solutions, encourage employees to submit ideas anonymously. This allows people to speak without fear of being judged. Most importantly, it allows conflicting opinions to be shared and ultimately discussed. Bonus - you get better ideas this way.

2) Include debates in weekly meetings. Handling conflict well must be practiced. One way to give your team practice is to hold a short debate in each weekly meeting. Employees can debate what the next team building activity should be, how they'll handle a vendor issue, or anything that will spark lively discussion.

3) Coach employees to find common ground. When an employee comes to you with a conflict they're having with another employee, ask- What do you think you both agree on? Once you've had this conversation enough, they'll find it so effective that they'll begin to adopt is as their mode of operation.

Bonus Tip: If a conflict or disagreement arises, make it an actual conversation 🗣🗣. Speaking to someone about the conflict will humanize you (and them) and will help you to understand each other's sides. So, before you send that next email of disagreement, pick up the phone, set up a Zoom call, or maybe even walk into the person's office instead.