Harnessing The Power Of Conflict...Margaret Heffernan

"But it strikes me that the biggest problems we face, many of the biggest disasters that we've experienced, mostly haven't come from individuals, they've come from organizations, some of them bigger than countries, many of them capable of affecting hundreds, thousands, even millions of lives. So how do organizations think? Well, for the most part, they don't. And that isn't because they don't want to, it's really because they can't. And they can't because the people inside of them are too afraid of conflict."

--Margaret Heffernan, Serial Entrepreneur and Author

Every other Tuesday, womenatliberty.com provides a platform for a variety of voices and resources to develop, encourage, and strengthen women leaders. This week's #LeadershipTuesdays feature is on the importance of having your own voice and having "your voice" heard and valued by the organization when it differs from the majority. Why is it important for an organization to value constructive conflict and those who may not always agree with an idea, policy, or a decision held by the majority? See the following quote from the Margaret Heffernan's TED Talk video:

"The fact is that most of the biggest catastrophes that we've witnessed rarely come from information that is secret or hidden. It comes from information that is freely available and out there, but that we are willfully blind to, because we can't handle, don't want to handle, the conflict that it provokes. But when we dare to break that silence, or when we dare to see, and we create conflict, we enable ourselves and the people around us to do our very best thinking."

There is a skill in learning how to disagree and harness the power in disagreements and constructive conflict to enhance relationships, discover new opportunities, and improve product/services and processes. A certain level of trust and respect must exist for both the organization and individuals within the organization in order for people to feel safe speaking up without fear of retribution. When these elements are not valued within the organization at every level, senior management as well as employees, we suffer events like the GM Ignition Switch Defect or the 1986 NASA Space Shuttle Challenger Disaster where precious lives are lost.

So what does it take to be able to appreciate constructive conflict? Check out Margaret Heffernan's Ted Talk by clicking here. You will enjoy the brief talk and be enlightened. For more information on #LeadershipTuesdays or womenatliberty.com, click here.