Turn disagreements into productive conversations.

There's a third way to a solution.

Every team faces friction eventually, whether it’s a missed deadline or a disagreement over a creative choice. When tension arises, don’t vent to others or ignore the problem.

Navigating conflict builds your leadership and emotional intelligence. As you move up, your success may depend on your ability to manage different personalities and keep a team focused on the mission.

Instead, reach out to the person involved and say, “I think we have different views on the next steps; can we chat for five minutes to get on the same page?” Approach conflict with a desire to understand someone’s perspective rather than try to win the argument. And if you must vent, do it is after you solve the problem and with someone outside of your workplace.

The goal of resolving a disagreement isn’t just to stop the fighting. The goal is also to find a better way forward for the project. Friction often happens because two people who are focused on different, but equally important, goals. By talking it out, you can usually find a “third way” that solves both problems. Be the person who handles difficult conversations with a calm, solution-oriented mindset.

Put these approaches into practice.

Let’s look at practical ways to address disagreements directly and calmly rather than venting or ignoring the issue.