Too often conflict is talked about as being dysfunctional. It is actually far more worrying to be without it. We need sparks to harness creativity and innovation, and conflict avoidance causes the most damage within an organisation. When it comes to arguments, it is easy to look to the aggressors as the problem, but more often it is those who try to please everyone or run from issues altogether that are causing debate. It is very rare that I see people skilfully using arguments to a collective advantage - they tend to fear it and thus avoid it. Conflict is reality and a part of life, and it is time we embraced this in a positive way.
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