Talk It Out: Encouraging Healthy Disagreement in Teams
In many teams, disagreement is quietly brushed aside, but silence isn’t always a sign of alignment; it creates missed opportunities.
Disagreements often arise during team discussions when people hold different perspectives or goals. The findings of the 2022 study suggest that people tend to avoid speaking up in these challenging situations, especially in zero-sum scenarios (where someone’s gain feels like another’s loss), because they find it uncomfortable when someone has to “win” the conversation.
But why does disagreement feel risky?
In many team settings, people worry about the tension, judgment, or awkwardness that may arise when they speak up. Sometimes, it’s also the power dynamics – junior team members may feel that their input is unwelcome, so they tend to go along and agree with the majority, missing opportunities to engage in valuable conversations and gain fresh perspectives.
So, how can we make disagreement feel more natural and less risky?
Create a safe and respectful space for open dialogue by encouraging team members to share during meetings without interruption. Psychological safety is the foundation of a healthy disagreement.
Use a rotating “devil’s advocate” to challenge groupthink and propose alternative perspectives. This also takes the pressure off any person to speak up.
Focus on challenging the idea, not the person. Phrases like “I see where you’re coming from” or “How can we make this idea even stronger?” encourage honest and open discussions without hurting relationships.
Thank the team member for speaking up. This will help create an outlet where disagreement becomes part of their growth.
Reflect and check in with the team on what went well, what felt uncomfortable, or how the approach can be improved next time.
Healthy disagreements are not about winning or losing; they are about finding common ground. When teams learn how to discuss their differences and view them as less of a matter of proving a point and more of discovering insights, it creates a safer, more open space for a healthy team to voice their opinions, even when they challenge the norm.
Give love and choose love.
T.
