Avoiding the Yes-Men Trap by Inviting Constructive Conflict
There’s an old adage that says, “You can’t win an argument with your boss.” Assuming that the boss is human and not perfect, doesn’t that imply that there are times when maybe the boss should lose an argument? If you’re the boss and you’re smart, you will want your team to be able to disagree with you, otherwise you’ll end up with a forced consensus and false self-confidence.
As the boss, you are the key to unlocking the power of constructive conflict in your team. But everything hinges on this: are you “disagree-able”? In other words, can your people disagree with you? Do you allow them to? Do you invite them to? Do they know that it’s safe (even acceptable) to challenge your ideas and your opinions?
5 key questions will help you explore your capacity for constructive conflict. This issue will introduce the questions—the expanded paper on the Resources page of the blogsite (https://thebossdoctor.net/resources/ ) will continue the presentation with more details and practical application.
5 Questions you need to ask about your “Disagree-Ability”
- Can you LEARN? Are you teachable? Are you willing to admit that you don’t know everything about your work and your people? Check out the paper on the Resources page for Marcus Buckingham’s 5 questions that unlock the secrets to leading your team members well.
- Can you LISTEN? Ken Blanchard says that “feedback is the breakfast of Champions” but can you really listen and accept it from your team?
- Can you FEEL? The ability to empathize with you team is key to managing change effectively and building respect with your people. Can you tune in to someone’s emotional reality when the time comes?
- Can you FAIL? Can you tolerate mistakes—especially your own—and embrace failure as a necessary part of innovation and life? Take the inventory on the expanded paper on the Resources page and find out if you are “failure-phobic.”
- Can you FOLLOW? Are you secure enough in your own abilities and leadership to be able to turn the tables and let your people lead you when it’s appropriate?
Don’t just breeze through these questions and toss this issue in your files—check out the expanded version of this article and discover some practical ideas that you can use today to take your leadership and management to the next level. You can find this expanded paper on the “Resources” page with this link: https://thebossdoctor.net/resources/
If you are dealing with a combative and contentious team, send up a flare! Corporate Leadership Initiatives has experience helping team leaders like YOU. We can help! In the meantime, stay tuned–we have more great ideas coming your way!
Until next time… Yours for better leaders and better organizations,
Dr. Jim Dyke – “The Boss Doctor” ™ helping you to BE a better boss and to HAVE a better boss!
