Why We Need MORE Conflict in Our Teams

On this episode

It’s nice to be nice – but that niceness is stopping teams from dealing with healthy conflict when it comes up. This leads to poor decisions, hidden resentments, and a lack of accountability. When we’re afraid of conflict, we don’t say what we really think, and problems stay hidden.

In this quick dip episode, Rachel explains how building trust and encouraging healthy conflict is an essential skill for leaders in high-stakes jobs like healthcare. Trust and psychological safety allow us to be vulnerable and speak up without fear – and we can build trust by getting to know each other better and showing empathy.

When we avoid conflict instead of addressing it, meetings become box-ticking exercises and decisions don’t get followed through on. People can start backbiting and forming factions, all of which leads to a dysfunctional team where nothing gets done.

But we can start creating environments where healthy conflict is encouraged, by establishing trust. Talk to someone you usually don’t chat with – ask how they’re doing and share something personal about yourself. This helps build trust and makes it easier to have honest conversations later.