Productive Conflict
Transform conflict to support and enhance innovation and team performance.
“Productive conflict is ‘an open exchange of conflicting or differing ideas in which parties feel equally heard, respected, and unafraid to voice dissenting opinions for the purpose of reaching a mutually comfortable resolution.’
On the opposite end of the spectrum, unproductive conflict is ‘an argument, especially a repetitive one, without resolution, that leaves both parties feeling more angry and frustrated.’
Each is a form of conflict, but the results are very different, either leading to escalating tension and additional conflict or a resolution and a solution.”
How to get to productive conflict?
“To get productive conflict, you need to create an expectation that there will be (and should be) tensions on your team. If you can articulate what desirable, healthy, productive tensions look like, you can prevent people from interpreting diversity of thought as a dysfunctional dynamic. You can help them see that, for example, Sales and Operations should be in tension with one another. If Sales and Operations aren’t frustrating one another, someone isn’t pushing hard enough. Sales should be looking for shiny, new, differentiated solutions for customers while Operations should be trying to create consistency that supports efficiency. There’s a natural and healthy tension there. Similarly, there’s tension between Research and Marketing, Corporate and Field roles, and so on.”
- Liane Davey, author of The Good Fight, You First, and Leadership Solutions
Step 1: Reframe conflict as leaning into healthy tension, rather than as a disruption.
Step 2: Use facilitation tools to support teams navigating productive conflict conversations.
De Bono’s Six Thinking Hats
5 Whys
Step 3: Try a framework like the TKI Conflict Mode Assessment to provide your team with a shared understanding of the different styles of conflict and how each is beneficial in different circumstances.
Step 4: Keep trying! This is a practice and takes time to integrate into your team culture.