Week 29: Eagle Focus
Conflict…It’s Essential
Session Eight of our Eagle Teams Peer Group Experience will focus on the importance of Conflict. We usually think of conflict as something negative or uncomfortable because we have all experienced unhealthy conflict. However, all teams and relationships have conflict, and believe it or not, conflict is a good thing.
Conflict allows us to share our feelings, see different perspectives, and create ownership and accountability. It also exposes us to others’ opinions, thoughts, or ideas we may not be aware of. On a team, conflict brings diversity, innovation, effectiveness, and efficiency to the forefront.
When handled properly, conflict builds trust among people. A team without healthy conflict is a team without trust. A relationship without healthy conflict is a relationship without trust.
Conflict Misconceptions
Many people believe that conflict must be resolved by coming to the same agreement, but nothing could be farther from the truth. Another myth is that conflict equals anger. In truth, conflict does not equal anger, but it can lead to anger.
When we automatically respond with feelings of embarrassment, hurt, disappointment, or insecurity, we allow anger to derail the benefits of healthy conflict. The key to keeping anger out of conflict is to identify the underlying emotions that cause us to feel anger.
Unspoken conflict results in anger that is never communicated and consequently may fester and grow. Learning to identify and address conflict is important in leadership development.
As we prepare for this discussion around conflict, it might be beneficial to read Chapter 6 in the Make A Difference E-book. If you have read it in the past, simply take a few minutes to review it.
Remember to use your Eagle Teams Digital Notebook to document any reflections or thoughts you might have after reading.
