When conflict stems from honest and open listening, disagreement can be a good thing, say Francesca Gino and Julia Minson. But developing those skills requires patience and discipline
Disagreements don’t have to end discussions. In fact, as researchers from the Harvard Kennedy School and Harvard Business School discussed at a recent event, engaging with those who hold opposing views can be constructive and lead to new discoveries and new allies.
“Many of us look at conflict as something we’d rather avoid than engage in with confidence,” explained Francesca Gino, Tandon Family Professor of Business Administration in the Negotiation, Organizations, and Markets Unit at Harvard Business School during the event. “But conflict and disagreement can be quite beneficial.”
Gino was joined by Julia Minson, an associate professor of public policy at the Kennedy School who researches the psychology of disagreement at the Minson Conflict and Collaboration Lab, for “How to Engage in Productive Disagreement.” The event was sponsored by the Office of the Vice Provost for Advances in Learning and the Harvard Alumni Association.
This article was provided with permission from Harvard Business School Working Knowledge.