Conflict is just change trying to happen.
Conflict is often seen as a negative. Yet conflict, a difference of opinions or ideas, leads to innovation and improvement. When we embrace conflict as an opportunity for growth, we gain clarity and better understanding of each other and our situation. We come up with new ways to improve and boost performance. It helps to reframe the way we think about conflict. Here are three ways to do that:
Conflict as a dance
Dance partners move in opposite directions and hold different positions, however with practice, the end result is quite graceful and enjoyable. If we think of conflict as an invitation to dance, if we practice engaging thoughtfully with people who hold different opinions and positions from our own, the entire experience can produce more positive outcomes. Conflict is the dance of complimentary opposites.
Conflict as a game
Great rivalries create excellence. Think Aust-NZ, Carlton-Collingwood, Rousey-Holm, Red Sox-Yankees, Real Madrid-Barcelona. In sport, we expect opposition and plan for it. And the stronger the opposition, the more we learn and the better we become. Our rivalries revive and revitalise us. Opposition opens us to new opportunities – we win or we learn. Faced with new and unexpected challenges, we reinvent and innovate. Having the courage to step into conflict situations rather than avoid them helps us learn more about ourselves and others. We value and appreciate our opposition because they are the ones helping us find new opportunities to improve, refine and develop.
Conflict as creative tension
Tension is when opposing forces stretch something and pull it tight. It’s a very useful force. Without it there’d be no Harbour Bridge. Without tension we couldn’t parachute, sail, ski, yo-yo, trampoline, play tennis, start a chainsaw or hang the clothes out to dry. Tension is what holds two opposing objects in place and produces something useful in between. Think of a suspension bridge. Too little resistance and the bridge is unstable. Too much tension and the bridge snaps. Like a good suspension bridge, we need just the right amount of tension in our teams. We need resistance from opposing ideas and perspectives to create good connections and bridge the gaps in our thinking. Conflict is an opportunity to hold the space between and create something new and useful to bridge the gap. Conflict is the raw material for creativity and innovation.
Want to know more? Let’s talk. Click here to contact me
Download the PDF: Reframe.the.Game