Five Strategies Used to Promote Constructive Disagreements

Constructive disagreements and constructive conflicts are not the same things. Usually, constructive conflicts become the result of either dissolved or improperly solved constructive disagreements (Harvard Law School, 2020). There exist two ways of solving disagreements that prevent them from turning into conflicts and do not undermine the authority of the team leader. The most beneficial way is the constructive strategy of managing the conflicts, as it not only strengthens the leader’s power and authority among the team members but also creates an opportunity for promoting the business. Hence, when trying to solve a particular business-related conflict, it is necessary for the managers to stick to constructive strategies of problem-solving.

The first strategy concerns ensuring the team members’ understanding of the leader’s point of view. Understanding is crucial when it comes to problem-solving, as it is almost impossible to explain an issue or the nature of a particular mistake if the opponent does not understand the point (Quigley, n.d.). The best way to ensure understanding is to ask questions, as it does not involve direct pointing at a person’s mistake. The next strategy to promote constructive disagreement concerns the understanding of the project’s aims. Sometimes the staff may understand the project better than the manager, so it is necessary to listen to their opinions and carefully consider them. Another point here involves constant professional development since different opinions are the best ways to look at the problem from different angles and enable constant education on the field (Meaning of constructive disagreement, 2020). The fourth strategy concerns being oriented towards problem-solving but not establishing the one who is right, as it may lead to abusive leadership, which is harmful to the company. The final point here concerns the leader’s gratitude towards the staff as it motivates people to work better.

To conclude, it is necessary to state that all the strategies described above enable the leaders to build relations with their employees based on mutual trust and respect. Constructive disagreement may be good for a company since it makes the staff think critically and look at the problems from different angles, which ensures the further development of the company. Hence, constructive disagreement may be beneficial for the business field, but only when it involves safe and respective communication between the leader and the team.

References

Harvard Law School Staff. (2020). Fostering constructive conflict in team negotiations: how can leaders and negotiators disagree without dissolving into dysfunction and strife in team negotiations? Harvard Law School. Web.

Meaning of constructive disagreement. (2020). FIA Insurance Services. Web.

Quigley, M. (n.d.). The power of constructive disagreement. Web.