Transforming disagreements into opportunities to enhance learning, decision making and trust

Purpose – Disagreements related to processes, priorities, and purpose surface within organizations. Disagreements may be between colleagues, or between internal and external protagonists, or between managers and their direct reports. Rather than avoiding or ignoring or even trying to eradicate disagreement, this paper highlights the potential value to be extracted from disagreement and offers some ideas on how best to be in a position to do so. Design/methodology/approach – This paper is the result of the insights offered by one of the world’s leading ethicists and the reflective thought based on hundreds of discussions by all three authors with practicing managers combining for over 60 years of such engagement. Findings – Practical considerations, examples, and suggestions for extracting the benefit resident in disagreement are presented and discussed. Practical implications – The ideas and outcomes posed are immediately and broadly applicable. Originality/value – Readers are provided with an array of field-observed benefits that are potential outcomes from a conscientious engagement with disagreement. Within an organizational “climate of possibilities”, ten potential benefits from constructive engagement with disagreement are presented and discussed. In addition, ten means for enhancing the likelihood of capturing those benefits are presented.