Productive conflict is focused on concepts and ideas that avoid mean-spirited personal attacks. It allows for an open exchange of differing ideas in which parties feel equally heard, respected, and unafraid to voice dissenting opinions for the purpose of reaching a beneficial resolution.

When two or more people can productively engage in conflict at the moment it’s happening, they can debate the issues in front of them, challenge perceptions and solve tough problems much more efficiently. The result is that people can make better, more informed decisions, without creating negative feelings for those involved.

The thing to remember is that conflict is an inevitable part of any workplace. We will all experience disagreements and differing points of opinion at some point, probably quite frequently to be honest. However, it is important to keep the focus on the topic at hand and proactively address it, rather than letting issues go unchecked. The reason this is so important is that if issues are not addressed, this can result in a lingering sense of resentment or anxiety between participants and the issue starts to affect their personal relationship as well – deviating into negative conflict where it becomes personal.

To avoid such situations, companies need to understand how to educate their people on productive conflict and how to engage in it effectively. The result is a healthy organisational culture that enables individuals to achieve team focused results, rather than creating a toxic work environment with low levels of staff engagement, a lack of passion and poor staff retention.

Enter the Everything DiSC^® Productive Conflict.

THE SOLUTION

Everything DiSC^® Productive Conflict profile helps participants improve self-awareness around conflict behaviours. Learning what destructive conflict comprises of; the stereotypical belittling, overpowering, gossiping, and arguing yes, however, did you know that withdrawing, caving in, and becoming defensive are just as detrimental to your workplace? The Productive Conflict profile helps learners identify and address destructive behaviours that they may unintentionally engage in so that they can recognise and halt the cycle.

To fully understand the difference between destructive versus productive conflict, we need to understand why we respond destructively in the first place. For many of us, conflict situations are threatening, whether that threat is emotional, physical, professional, or personal, and it is our instinct to protect ourselves. We do it so quickly that we do not even think about it. But subconsciously, there is a process playing out. A conflict incident triggers an automatic thought, which in turn triggers a response.

This is because the way that we consciously respond to and frame our thoughts around situations and events will shape the way we react. Allowing a destructive automatic response to prevail such as “they have no idea what they are talking about” will result in a negative approach, whereas reframing to “they are coming at this from a completely different angle to me”, allows you to approach the situation with an open which enables you to find a resolution.

Much of this is habitual, deeply ingrained and outside our consciousness, and therefore conflict will look different depending on the people and situations involved.  If the destructive response is left unchecked, we respond destructively, however, if we can replace this destructive response with a productive one, we can engage in healthy conflict.

As a result, there is no one-size-fits-all answer to making conflict productive. Instead, the solution starts with you, and your Everything DiSC^® Productive Conflict profile.

1. In the first part of the learner’s personalised profile, participants learn about their DiSC Style in conflict, as well as what conflict with other DiSC styles most likely looks like.
2. In the second section, learners begin to recognise their automatic thoughts and resulting destructive behaviours in conflict situations. Because these are usually subconscious reactions, the profile helps to provide more detail on the more common destructive behaviours, and the destructive automatic thoughts that lead to these, in order to help learners begin to self-identify more efficiently and reframe their approach.
3. Part three focuses on change. It is an action planning section that helps the learner recognise their destructive automatic thought, step back from their emotions, pause and reframe, and choose a more productive response.

PLANNING FOR CHANGE

Action planning and self-reflection are the key components of this profile, and rather than focusing on a step-by-step process for conflict resolution, Everything DiSC^® Productive Conflict provides participants with techniques to curb destructive behaviours and effectively respond to conflict situations within the moment.

We need to embrace that even though conflict is uncomfortable, it is necessary. Therefore, it is not good enough to just have discussions on topics, because all too often this looks like artificial harmony – everyone in agreement because they do not want to upset the apple cart. However, we need conflict around ideas, to make sure everyone is heard, that all different perspectives are voiced and debated, that people weigh into topics so that they can buy into the end decision. The difference between just having a discussion and having productive conflict is that conflict is always going to be uncomfortable, even when it’s productive, but that’s ok because it’s going to get you to the end result you need.

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