Workplace Conflict: Some Surprising Benefits of Office Friction

Published: Thu, 05/08/14

"Peace is not absence of conflict, it is the ability to handle conflict by peaceful means." —Ronald Reagan, 40th President of the United States.

Many workplace leaders consider conflict between employees a dangerous thing, and it's no wonder. We've all seen the results of clashing personalities and company politics: distraction, discontent, resentment, gossip, lost jobs, resignations, and other productivity killers. As a result, some managers go to great lengths to avoid conflict. But overcompensation can prove equally dangerous when it devolves into complacency, or worse, groupthink—where everyone thinks alike and disagreement can't or won't be tolerated. "Yes men" have doomed more than one company, especially when the groupthink became tinged with arrogance (think Enron).

For a newer example, consider Blackberry. Once the fastest-growing company in the world, it recently faded into near obscurity, becoming a relatively minor acquisition of Canadian holding company Fairfax Financial. Rather than face the reality that consumer rather than business applications would drive smartphone sales, Blackberry execs collectively mistakenly decided otherwise, turned their backs on consumers—and lost their market share to iPhones and Androids. Perhaps a little dissention in the ranks would have done some good.

The Flip Side of Conflict

Does this mean you should give workplace conflict a chance? To some extent, yes. Conflict doesn't have to stifle innovation or bring your workflow to a screeching halt, but dissention definitely has a place within workplace discussions. You may not agree with or listen to everyone, but at least they'll have had their say and have ownership in the final decision. If nothing else, this lets people blow off some steam and feel more engaged—crucial factors in performance and productivity. Better yet, you may hear some innovative ideas with the potential to revitalize your business or fatten the bottom line.

Let's look at a few other reasons to let team members clash occasionally.

1. It sparks healthy debate and competition. When people can argue about where they're going, you avoid the blind agreement that characterizes groupthink. It also stirs up the team culture, especially when handled in a polite, professional manner without fear of ridicule. If an idea looks like it won't work, let debate sort it out—don't just cut it down immediately. Some ideas need a little time to mature. As for competition, friendly rivalry (especially in pursuit of a reward) can increase motivation, pushing productivity and end value higher for everyone.

Read the rest of the article

New Upcoming Live Webinar

The use of this seal is not an endorsement by the HR Certification Institute of the quality of the program. It means that this program has met the HR Certification Institute's criteria to be pre-approved for recertification credit.

Building the Ideal Workplace of the Future: How Leaders Create High-Performance Work Environments

DATE: Friday, May 9, 2014

TIME: 10:00 Pacific/11:00 Mountain/12:00 Central/1:00 Eastern

INVESTMENT: $39

This program has been pre-approved for one HRCI credit.

*** The use of this seal is not an endorsement by the HR Certification Institute of the quality of the program. It means that this program has met the HR Certification Institute's criteria to be pre-approved for recertification credit.***

How do leaders create the ideal workplace of the future? By creating a workplace environment NOW that will attract the talent you'll need.

To successfully execute your strategic initiatives, leaders must create a productive, high-performance work environment, which depends on the level of employee engagement, which depends on workplace culture, which guides discretionary behavior, which picks up where the employee handbook leaves off. Your workplace environment is defined by what happens when the CEO leaves the room.

Learn more and reserve your spot today!

Special Offer From TLNT.com

As you may be aware, I am frequently featured as a contributor on TLNT.com, a great site that all HR executives should add to their daily reading list.

This month they are hosting their first High Performance Workforce (HPW) Summit (http://www.HighPerformanceWorkforceSummit.com/) in Atlanta May 28 and 29, and this is one event that any business focused HR executive should attend. TLNT has allowed me to offer you a discount to attend on my behalf. Please use the discount code HPW14INFL when you register online and you will save an additional 10% off the registration fee.

If you have any specific questions about the event, please call my friend John Hollon, who is the Editor in chief of TLNT and he will gladly discuss the event with you. You can reach John at john@tlnt.com or call 212-671-1181 ext. 812.

Hotlinks/Laura in the News

How to engage employees in their jobs just like Southwest Airlines

Thanks for reading! Make it a productive day.™

Follow:

Permission to reprint all or part of this article in your magazine, e-zine, website, blog, or organization newsletter is hereby GRANTED, provided:

(1) The ENTIRE credit line below is present, (2) the website link to www.TheProductivityPro.com is clickable (LIVE), and (3) you send a copy, PDF, link, tearsheet, etc. of the work in which the article is used when published.

This credit line MUST be reprinted in its entirety to use any articles from Laura Stack:

(C) 2014 Laura Stack. Laura Stack is America's premier expert in personal productivity. For over 20 years, her speeches and seminars have helped professionals, leaders, teams, and organizations improve output, execute efficiently, and save time at work. She's the author or coauthor of 10 books, most recently, Execution IS the Strategy. To invite Laura to speak at your next meet or register for her free monthly newsletter, visit www.TheProductivityPro.com.