Why disagreements can be good for business
Conflict is a natural and inevitable part of every relationship, including the relationships you have with your coworkers and team members. It is not a bad thing; it is a very human thing. You won’t always agree with your team, but great teams are good at disagreeing. Here is how you use that to your advantage.
Disagree effectively. Far too many managers encourage consistent agreement among team members. Not only is this disingenuous, but it is also a waste of time. Managers need to create a culture that truly respects different and divergent ideas. Don’t enable sameness. Sameness is the enemy of innovation.
Remove yourself from owning an idea. Recognize that your idea may not be the best one. Give up ownership of it and open up the topic for debate.
Invest in vetting out the best possible outcome. This is the crux of solving any business problem. What is the best possible outcome for clients, coworkers, or the team? You need to stop focusing on being right and redirect your energy to affect the best change.
Evaluate the cost of being wrong. Will that have a negative impact on revenue, customer experience, or product development? Will it damage your brand or reputation? Can you afford to make this mistake to feel like you are right?
Ground your decisions in data. When possible, make data-driven decisions and take data-centric positions. Do concrete, reliable evidence back your position, or is it rooted in wishful thinking?
Seek to understand. People disagree because they don’t understand each other, and if you are too busy wanting to be heard and not trying to understand, nothing will move forward. If you’re a manager, it is incumbent upon you to listen to what your team is telling you and not unilaterally enforce your opinion onto them. If you’re an employee, you need to hear and respect what your colleagues are saying.
Take responsibility for your feelings. When disagreements become heated and tense, it's easy to start making accusations, assigning blame, and making excuses. You have the power to keep disputes from escalating into something ugly.
Because most people fear conflict, they often repress their anger and frustration or placate these people to make tensions dissipate. This does not help anyone, nor does it advance you toward your goals. Disagreements need not be polarizing and riddled with conflict. They can be effective exercises in communication and can help drive positive outcomes for all involved.