Is Conflict Always Bad?

The short answer is NO! I started writing about team coaching and the constructs needed for a functional team. Last week I wrote about vulnerability based trust. What so critical about that? If team members don’t trust each other, they aren’t going to have the conversations needed to reach the best solution or path forward. That’s the type of conflict I’m speaking of. Not the personal or political kind; the sharing of ideas even if they conflict with one another. All opinions and ideas need to be out on the table from each team member to find the best of the best. That’s only going to happen if people trust each other. People share without fear of ridicule or retaliation or…… People will simply be quiet or nod in agreement even if they don’t agree if there is fear in the room. There WILL be discomfort in the room, that’s a given. Heated discussions aren’t comfortable but necessary to find the best of the best. High levels of fear, on the other hand, are harmful. That’s why trust is so important. It leads to healthy discussion and sharing of ideas. Even if it gets heated, it’s done in the spirit of finding the truth.