Curtailing conflict can kill creativity

I know lots of people in corporations holding responsibility who just want to be liked… who would much prefer to be known as a nice manager who ‘gets along with everyone’, is a ‘real team player’, and is just ‘great to work with’. I suppose it would be fair to say most of us to some degree would like to be known in these ways…

However curtailing the potential for conflict at all costs has proven to come at the greater cost of creativity. My experience has been that the best way for getting things done often comes from constructive conflict. Most ambitious people I come across are all too quick to challenge assumptions, raise controversial ideas, and press different points of view. With these types of employees and leaders within organisations, it’s only reasonable to assume you will not get along with everyone all the time….

Finding the right balance between the need to deal with conflict, and confront it constructively, and the instinct to avoid it, is one of the toughest challenges that most managers face. Unrestrained conflict can only be toxic and lead to low morale and turnover, but not enough conflict can heighten politics, amplify apathy, and cost opportunity.

Being too nice can cost opportunity.  Curtailing conflict can kill creativity!

Here are a couple of ideas that may help strike the right balance of constructive conflict.

1. Allocate meeting time to specifically challenge the status quo… Making this clear up front will allow everyone concerned to mentally prepare constructively before the meeting begins. How many times have you been caught off guard and ended up saying something you later regretted… something that wasn’t at all creative, just outright confrontational!
2. Start the conversation with, “This isn’t personal, this is a conversation about what the business needs”. What you are trying to say is, we can disagree about ideas and strategies, and maintain respect for each other. Let’s agree to question assumptions and challenge what has previously been accepted.
3. Reinforce and commend constructive conversations. Taking moments to thank someone for their constructive comment and willingness to challenge ideas or address difficult conversations is a powerful way to build a culture around constructive conflict.
4. Set ground rules. Where possible, asking the team to start with a positive, and then raise a criticism, helps manage and balance perspectives. Perhaps even agreeing at the end of each meeting to discuss what worked successfully, and what needs to be changed for next time also fosters constructive criticism that ultimately will help the team or organisation become more creative, considered and constructive.

It is always easier to avoid conflict, especially when it involves individuals. It’s much easier for some to just be the nice guy who is willing to get along with everyone. But more often, being a little less nice might be the greatest need your team and organisation have.