How to Benefit From the Constructive Side of Conflict

Over the past few weeks, I’ve had the opportunity to participate in a myriad of diverse events. By representing Truora in multiple facets, I’ve been in the company of diplomats, business leaders, investors, startup founders, long-time industry authorities, and all kinds of amazing people. The topics discussed have been various, ranging from national politics and foreign policy to business opportunities, the current tech panorama, education as a way to improve economic disparity, and how technology has impacted different industries, among many others. As you can imagine, it was the perfect scenario to conduct multiple debates and discussions, exchange opinions, and, of course, pose questions. What is interesting is that particularly with tricky subjects, this led to “heated” arguments and multiple voices trying to bring their point across.

In such diverse groups, one would think that it's normal to have differences of opinion. And while that is true, it’s not normal to openly discuss those “differences,” which may end up becoming controversies. But, given the nature of some of these events, it was the optimal scenario to discuss “tricky subjects,” such as the role of an employer in reducing the gender gap in leadership, inequality or even the right way to expand a business across different borders. What I observed, which was most intriguing, is that many of the arguments used in the discussions were derived from deeply understanding the other’s opinion. Even if the aim was not to “agree” and change one’s mind, people would normally assume that the “correct” thing to do in a formal scenario is to nod and be neutral or take an accommodating stance. In reality, a strong and respectful expression of your beliefs and opinions is completely acceptable and even embraced.  

So why does it shock us so much when we encounter someone who fundamentally disagrees with one of our beliefs? 
Somehow the common practice of debating as a way to broaden our minds has mostly been left to classrooms. We have misunderstood the principles of political correctness and made it a guiding principle that prohibits us from exchanging opinions in respectful debates. As such, it prevents us from receiving valuable lessons that come from having awkward conversations, like admitting defeat when our argument doesn’t hold, or simply encouraging respectful disagreements.
I like to think about the different ways companies propose new ideas and decide to execute them, as it varies a lot from one to another. As business leaders, we must strive to promote debate, strong opinions, and disagreements, the goal is to make our companies spaces where agonism thrives. 

But what is agonism?

Agonism comes from the Greek word “struggle” and is a theory used in political and diplomatic circles that emphasizes the positive results that could be derived from conflict, such as nurturing debates and providing a safe space for exchanging ideas and setting resolutions. In this theory, conflict is understood as nonviolent and nonthreatening, and acknowledged as the convergence of different perspectives. On the other hand, opponents are not perceived as enemies. By eliminating the aim to “destroy” the other party’s arguments, differences become mere tools to exchange ideas constructively. 

How do we bring these learnings back to our jobs?
There are multiple scenarios where you can decide to listen, to open up things for debate in order to make them better. Whether you are designing a product, discussing a book, building a team, or defining a menu, you must consider that the best possible outcome comes from taking into account multiple perspectives, receiving feedback, and being open to different opinions.

Now, when thinking about a business decision, even if it’s defining a five-year strategy or a new product feature, I have found that the more different your opponent is from you, the tougher the questions you will encounter. And thus, the challenge becomes fascinating. Being challenged on your own beliefs is a great way to deeply question your drivers and solidify your arguments. Also, by undermining the experience of being questioned, we make a continuous effort to understand the way other people think. You'd be surprised by the number of times people have a strong opinion on something but lack information to picture the whole situation. 

By keeping a respectful, open mind, “conflict,” understood within the agonism paradigm, turns into the most interesting and constructive conversation one could ever dream of. I encourage you to create spaces where people can provide feedback, disagree, raise their voices, and participate, regardless of their age, position in the company, or even expertise. Your company and business will be better because of it, as it will not only expand your worldview but will help you grow and increase your learning curve.