A healthy level of disagreement

You are likely to face challenges from time to time. Perhaps you and your colleagues disagree on the

direction of a project, how a change should be implemented or a particular part of the firm’s strategy. Such disagreements are a necessary evil and can actually help the business to make better decisions.

When it comes to disagreements at work, most people don’t want to engage in conflict and they often don’t know how to go about disagreeing. After all, agreeing is easier than speaking up and saying, “I don’t agree with you / your decision”. However, a healthy level of challenge / disagreement should be encouraged.

If you and your colleagues challenge each-other and continually ask if an approach is right or if there is a better approach to a particular problem, you are likely to end up with a better solution in the long run. Disagreements can often drive the people in your business to come up with more innovative solutions to problems.

Encouraging people to work together through their disagreements in relation to things like strategy, approach, etc. you can actually encourage better working relationships.

Disagreements can help your team
members to focus on the big picture. If
they disagree on something it forces them to weigh up the pros and cons of each possible solution. This should be done in the context of the overall strategy for the firm. Your team will (hopefully) choose the solution that is most aligned with the vision and strategy of your business.

If nothing else, disagreements are an opportunity for you and your team members to learn from each other, a valuable outcome for any business.