Conflict—just the thought of the word causes some of us to bristle and feel uncomfortable. Despite what your initial reaction may be to the word, conflict is not always a bad thing for a team or organization.  As a matter of fact, conflict can be key to organizational health.  

In the Success magazine in 2015, Patrick Lencioni said,  “Failing to engage in conflict is a terrible decision, one that puts our temporary comfort and the avoidance of discomfort ahead of the ultimate goal of our organization. Conflict is always the right thing to do when it matters".  

Unfortunately, many leaders fail to see conflict as a healthy part of organizational growth and try to avoid it all costs. Without conflict, there is often "group-think" where everyone agrees with everyone else and it ultimately leads to stagnation, lack of creativity, and resentment in the organization. 

The next time you hear the word conflict—don’t immediately have a negative reaction, think about how conflict allows you to gain perspective. As organizations and individuals, let’s not avoid conflict like an evil sin, let’s embrace it for all that it is worth.

Reference:

¹Krampe, J. (2017, February 17). Patrick Lencioni on Healthy Conflict. Retrieved June 4, 2020, from https://www.success.com/patrick-lencioni-on-healthy-conflict/