Katie Roberts Career Consulting

Did you know that by always avoiding conflict in the workplace, you could be sabotaging your career? That seems to be the consensus amongst many career experts.

Many managers consider ‘yes’ people to be their biggest killer of productivity, innovation and creativity. While we would never advocate constantly clashing personalities, discontent, resentment and gossip in the workplace – sometimes you are completely justified in challenging the status quo. In fact, often the fact that you do regularly challenge the norm is the driver that helps you get ahead in your career – healthy conflict can spark competition and drive innovation and change. 

So when is conflict a good thing?

• When it sparks healthy debate – let’s say you don’t agree with something that someone has recommended – if you’re in a position to disagree and you can back up your argument or position – you should go for it. So long as you listen to other people’s ideas first, and consider the pros and cons, you have every right to disagree and present your own ideas. This is what’s considered ‘healthy debate’ and it’s usually good for business.

• When it prevents major fall outs – rather than allowing personal resentments to fester until both parties can’t stand it any longer, properly managed conflict can help individuals manage their personal differences. This means exploring your differences and coming to some kind of resolution before they explode into something more dangerous.

• When it strengthens collaboration – by challenging people’s thoughts and ideas, we are able to gain valuable insight into why people think and act the way they do. Well-managed disagreement not only helps for the project or situation being discussed, but it can help strengthen working relationships for the future by giving that sense of overcoming adversity. A team that comes through the other side of disunity and disagreement will usually end up more productive, closer and stronger than ever before.

• When it provides an opportunity to learn – rarely does one individual have all the answers to every question. Likewise in business, no one person can foresee every challenge and issue that the business will face, no one person can establish the right solution to every problem, so conflict can provide a much needed process of elimination in finding the right solution. This process helps us grow and change, while developing new opinions, thoughts and ideas about certain things.

Instead of fearing conflict – embrace it; remember it is a normal part of our working day. Make sure you are respectful of other people’s feelings and thoughts by controlling your emotions or sarcasm and maintain professionalism at all times. Focus on the facts when presenting your argument, recognise and value other people’s contributions and opinions and watch your body language as well as what comes out of your mouth!