Back to blog

Five Benefits Gained Through Healthy Conflict

PATRICK BOOTH
Management communication Managing a Team Building Culture Navigating Conflict Management Aspirations Effective Meetings Personal & Professional Growth Entry Level Management Middle Management

How do you respond when someone disagrees with you? We all have different personalities, so responses can vary from each other. My team and I have been taught in the past year the importance of having healthy conflict with each other. Why? How? That is what I thought when we started our training but by the end, I realized the need is critical for trust to be strengthen as the foundation of your team.

 

What is healthy conflict?

It is the ability to share a difference in opinion respectively on a topic.

 

Why does healthy conflict matter?

Through healthy conflict, a team can feel comfortable to disagree with each other. They can discuss pros/cons of a topic before they conclude with an agreed decision.

 

Unhealthy Responses

  • Become overly dramatic
  • Gossips
  • Ignores the disagreement
  • Caves to avoid tension
  • Overpowers with logic and facts
  • Becomes passive aggressive
  • Digs heels in even further
  • Looks to even the score
  • Overpowers & gets loud

 

Healthy Responses

  • Expresses feelings
  • Shows empathy
  • Listens to other’s perspectives
  • Encourages a calm discussion & demeanor
  • Focuses on logic & objectivity
  • Sticks up for own rights
  • Speaks up about problems
  • Addresses the issues head on

 

What are five benefits of healthy conflict?

  • Commitment
  • Trust
  • Better problem solving
  • Improved productivity
  • Personal growth

 

How does healthy conflict lead to commitment?

After discussing the pros/cons of an idea it will create a unified decision that all can support. When people feel heard they are more willing to meet someone in the middle.

 

How does healthy conflict lead to trust?

You must create a place where team members feel safe and can express their thoughts, feelings, etc. By creating this safe place, it will help your team members feel trust & respect by being heard. Everyone wants to feel valued especially during conflict.

 

How does healthy conflict lead to better problem solving?

It allows all parties to focus on finding the solution by listening, sharing, researching, creative brainstorming, analyzing information and patience. 

 

How does healthy conflict lead to improved productivity?

It allows people to speak their heart in a non-judgmental environment. This can build confidence in those that tend to let others lead. Encouraging new ideas to be shared will bring an environment of learning. It can create empowerment and confidence in your team.

 

How does healthy conflict lead to personal growth?

It allows people to be aware of how to control their emotions and be a good communicator. It allows you learn how to attack the problem not the person that is disagreeing with you. You learn to focus on finding a solution that works for both sides.

 

Conclusion...

Creating a healthy conflict environment will strengthen your team’s trust with each other while producing better results because of it.

 

********* FINAL WEEK ********

*JOIN US FOR A LIVE EVENT THIS THURSDAY - FEBRUARY 9TH*

Resilient Leadership: Leadership in Uncharted Territory
With guest speaker Tod Bolsinger!

Register HERE
Use discount code: MEMBER23 for 15% off registration