6 Benefits of Workplace Conflicts
A Little Debate & Disagreement Among Team Members Can Actually Lead to Better Results
Conflict Isn’t Always Bad
While conflict is often viewed as something to be avoided at all costs, that is not necessarily the case. It’s a fact that conflict is, at some times, inevitable in every relationship. Fortunately, however, conflict is not necessarily a bad thing. Managed effectively, conflict — even in the working world — can actually have positive outcomes.
6. Leads to Accomplishment of Goals
As team members work through conflicts, they are able to make progress toward accomplishing goals that need to be reached. This is true in terms of project-specific goals, as well as the goal of becoming a stronger, more unified team that is characterized by a willingness to work through problems and deal with challenges.
5. Enhances Commitment
Working through conflict with colleagues can provide a forum for unifying the group. After all, people are much more likely to buy-in to the outcome of decisions that are made if they were involved in the decision-making process. Making sure everyone has a voice — even if it’s a voice of dissent — is a vital component of an effective team.
4. Improves Productivity
By getting involved in efforts to resolve conflict, members of a work group can actually become more productive. Rather than spending times dwelling on the fact that disagreement exists, taking action to deal with conflict can get co-workers focused on taking actions that lead to greater productivity.
3. Allows for Constructive Change
If problems and disagreements are ignored and avoided rather than being handled in a constructive way, things will stay the same or get worse. When co-workers air their differences and work through them, then the stage is set for positive change to occur within the group. Keeping the status quo might be the path of least resistance, but if you can persevere through the struggle and come out better on the other side, it’s worth it.
2. Leads to Resolution
Engaging in effective conflict management can lead to the resolution of problems that naturally arise when people with different goals, opinions and attitudes work together. Only through acknowledging differences and engaging in constructive communication can problems be resolved. And you, or an aspiring manager on your team, has to learn to manage conflict in order to harness its potential.
1. Generation of New Insights
If everyone agreed all the time, there would be no reason to consider different perspectives or look for new ways to handle situations. The best ideas often rise from the ashes of conflict and the creative problem-solving process that has to occur so to reach a satisfactory agreement.
If part of the conflict revolves around salary or the fact that raises haven’t been considered in a few years, that’s a whole separate problem.