Create Safe Work Environments

In any organization, disagreement among coworkers is inevitable and, in many cases, healthy. Even questioning the leadership has its place, as long as the discussion is respectful.

The most effective teams and organizations regularly disagree. Still, traditional work cultures have conditioned us to think that everyone should agree with everything, and the ones with any opposing viewpoint are labeled as trouble makers or disruptors. But if everyone’s always agreeing, how do you know what people are actually thinking?

The worst thing for any company is a leader who surrounds themselves with a sea of yes men or women who agree with everything. To build a great company, you must have some sense of respectful disagreements among your team. As a leader, according to Tori Utley, you will be passionate about your ideas. Even though it can be disheartening to hear a board member, team member, or employee disagree with your idea or strategy, listen to what they have to say.

We need to create safe work cultures that honor differences of opinion. The key is developing the right environment for civil, productive debate to take place and allowing employees to feel safe opening up. No one will ever have all of the right answers, and it’s only through conversation, debate, and yes, even argument that those real ideas come out, and better decisions are made.