Why is positive conflict so important in a team?

Conflict.  Some avoid it.  Others relish it.  A range of attitudes towards conflict exists in any team.

So why is it so important that your team engages in positive conflict?  And why do so many teams avoid it?

Cultural norms, past experiences and personality types all impact our acceptable levels of conflict.  But the lesser-known reason is trust. When teams lack trust, they hold back.  They don’t feel comfortable providing their perspective.  They fail to contribute to meetings and instead share opinions outside the team.

To be successful a team must master the art of conflict. By this I mean the ability to disagree and challenge one another.  To passionately engage in all discussions even if topics are difficult.   And to provide their opinions and bring their full perspective.

When teams achieve this they will likely feel discomfort.  But teams that don’t get outside their comfort zones are probably not making the best decisions.

Because the best decisions are ones which the whole team has contributed to.  When this happens, teams are much more likely to get behind them.

Positive conflict is one of the major factors in developing a high-performing team.  One that expends minimum effort for maximum impact.