Four ways to turn negative tension into healthy disagreement.
February 03, 2025
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Tensions are inevitable in the workplace. But there is a difference between healthy and unhealthy conflicts. Healthy team conflict moves a team towards its goals and builds productive, respectful, and trusting relationships. Unproductive conflict, on the other hand, holds a team back. Here are four ways to encourage healthy conflict on your team: 1) Tell your team that disagreements are expected and a normal — and productive — part of collaboration, teamwork, and innovation. 2) Name positive tensions. 3) Separate the people from the problem. 4) Stay calm.
Sam was frustrated and at a loss for what to do about two of his team members who were at each other’s throats. What started as a disagreement over how to best handle a critical project had devolved into an all-out battle. There was tension whenever they were in the same meeting together, they would snap at and interrupt one another, and it was clear that other people on the team were starting to take sides. Sam (not his real name) chalked it up to a “personality clash” and decided the only thing he could do was find ways to make sure these two people’s work didn’t overlap.
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