Commitment to Coaching

Confrontation does not necessarily mean conflict. Confronting a potential conflict might even prevent it. Disagreement doesn’t necessarily imply argumentation. Open discussion about differing ideas and perspectives often brings out the best in people. This helps the overall organization. A corporate culture that encourages calm, rational behavior allows people to share ideas without becoming adversaries.

The business world has a widely established set of norms when it comes to managing differences of opinion. We’ve seen consistent results over the years, with an uptick towards the positive in 2020. Interestingly, results in this area don’t vary much by country or other demographics. Although plenty of respondents described their organization in a positive way here, nearly a fifth answered ‘never,’ which seems problematic. Is that typical in your organization?

With a leader like Duane, who considers confrontation to be the same as fighting, does a business thrive or suffer? Duane says he wants to “keep the peace,” but is he actually doing that, or is he just moving the problems down the line? Is he ignoring important issues, instead favoring an approach that just sweeps problems under the rug?

How do employees feel when they get an email rather than a direct conversation? What about when Duane hires a friend, and that person doesn’t live up to the job? Do other employees feel comfortable confronting the issue? Are they able to address Duane directly when a problem arises? If not, the impact on business is demonstrably negative, and the bottom line suffers.

This attitude – avoiding confrontation – can be addressed and changed, in both individuals and organizations as a whole. It takes time, effort, and work, but positive behavioral change can happen.