Conflict is Good!

By Sarah Kalicki-Nakamura and Cindy Sakai, TH!NK

Is your organization underperforming due to unproductive conflict? If you said yes, you are not alone. reports that the cost of unproductive conflict equals $359 billion in the United States. Productive conflict is an untapped opportunity to enhance your bottom line.

Infograph, The Impact of Conflict on Today's Workplace

Imagine a workplace where people are passionate, debate ideas, learn from each other’s perspectives, and embrace healthy conflict. The possibilities are endless. As a leader, create a culture of healthy conflict by adopting three personal practices:

  1. Spot your negative automatic thoughts
  2. Reframe your negative automatic thoughts
  3. Choose productive behaviors

Infographic, Conflict in progress

Let’s break it down.

Step 1.
Spot your negative automatic thought that leads to unproductive conflict – “That was the most ridiculous idea I’ve ever heard.”

Step 2.
Reframe your negative automatic thought – “That’s a different approach. I’ve never thought about it that way.” If you do not reframe your negative automatic thought, it will lead to destructive behaviors such as overpowering others, gossiping, caving in, finger-pointing, hypercriticism, passive-aggressiveness, stonewalling, etc.

Step 3.
Choose a productive conflict behavior -”Tell me more about your idea.” Productive conflict behaviors include straightforwardness, active debate, flexibility, listening, identifying the root cause of the problem, to name a few.

Take a deeper dive into mastering productive conflict at our public workshop, “Conflict is Good!” on July 29, 2020. Click here to register. The “Conflict is Good!” workshop qualifies for ETF funding.

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Is your company seen as a “Best Place to Work”? How can you make and leave a great impression, even if your new hires leave and fail to make it to their 2nd year?

Today’s employees are job hopping. We must embrace that fact to become a great place to work.

Introduce your unique culture, exceptional employees, and efficient processes.

Great employers onboard with clear expectations.

Trial and error. Let them try their ideas and be responsible for their contributions.

Ownership is the keyword. Let them own their work, ideas, and mistakes.

Reengage. Remind them why they are an asset. Make sure they know you care and will continue to grow their skill sets.

By now, you’ve invested some and they’ve produced lots. Thank them for it if they leave but shower them with love if they stay. Don’t forget to live your company’s core values.

To learn more about the role of human resource management professionals and how to improve HR competency, go to

Categories: Human Resources, Partner Content