Today’s politically correct culture produces an abundance of teams with false harmony. They look good. They are not. Then never fight in public and don’t know how to fight in private. They avoid conflict. These teams underperform. We teach them to fight to improve performance instead of fighting to prove a point. Big diff. Here’s why false harmony is the norm: it’s just a little bit easier. How much easier is it for you to talk to your coworkers about your verbally abusive peer than to talk truth directly with them? It take courage to face your fear of rejection and run into conflict with your spouse, friend, coworker, or leader. Here’s good news.
Most conflict is simply a conversation to be had.
As we learn to speak truth in love, we discover most of our conflict is a communications problem, a translation issue that two people can usually solve on their own or with the help of a virtuous builder. The energy that comes from a diverse, innovative, results-oriented, passionate group of people will generate heat. Heat will fuel high performance and also produce heated moments. Deal with it.
During these healthy conflicts, high performance leaders mine for more. Normal ones bury it. Problems do not age well. Conflict doesn’t resolve itself. You and your team are not part of some self-healing system. Problems must be addressed to be eliminated. The sooner they’re addressed, the more simply they are solved.
So, leader, move toward your team members. Expect conflict. Valuing false harmony is the problem. You and your team are building a culture. Make it a culture that values truth, not the lie of false harmony. Make it a culture of hard won, true harmony that fights to improve performance, not prove a point.
What conflict is crippling your culture? What are you waiting for?
You just read Day 75 from BBTL. You’re welcome. I had a feeling you needed a reminder…
BUILT TO LEAD 