---
title: Healthy Team Conflict In The Workplace
description: People on a team often avoid team conflict because it feels uncomfortable, negative and counter-productive. But in reality, it can have numerous benefits!
image: https://blog.peoplefirstps.com/hubfs/example.svg
---

[Skip to content](https://blog.peoplefirstps.com/connect2lead/healthy-conflict-0#main-content)

![people first productivity solutions logo](https://blog.peoplefirstps.com/hs-fs/hubfs/people%20first%20logo%20xlarge-1.png?width=250&height=108&name=people%20first%20logo%20xlarge-1.png)

- [Home](https://peoplefirstps.com)
- [Leadership](https://peoplefirstps.com/leadership-program-design)
  
  Show submenu for Leadership 
  
    - [The Leadership Challenge®](https://peoplefirstps.com/the-leadership-challenge)
    - [The Leadership Practices Inventory®](https://peoplefirstps.com/lpi)
    - [Supervisor Training](https://peoplefirstps.com/supervisor-training)
    - [Leaders at Every Level](https://peoplefirstps.com/leaders-at-every-level)
    - [Leadership Coaching](https://peoplefirstps.com/leadership-coaching)
    - [Leadership Program Design](https://peoplefirstps.com/leadership-program-design)
- [Teams](https://peoplefirstps.com/executive-teams)
  
  Show submenu for Teams 
  
    - [Executive Teams](https://peoplefirstps.com/executive-teams)
    - [Team Building](https://peoplefirstps.com/team-building)
    - [People Practices](https://peoplefirstps.com/people-practices)
    - [Communication Skills](https://peoplefirstps.com/communication-skills)
    - [Trust at Work](https://peoplefirstps.com/trust-at-work)
    - [Personality Style](https://peoplefirstps.com/personality-style)
    - [Conflict at Work](https://peoplefirstps.com/conflict-at-work)
- Personal Growth
  
  Show submenu for Personal Growth 
  
    - [Soft Skills](https://peoplefirstps.com/soft-skills)
    - [Your Voice Matters](https://peoplefirstps.com/your-voice-matters)
    - [Emotional Intelligence](https://peoplefirstps.com/emotional-intelligence)
    - [1:1 Coaching](https://peoplefirstps.com/1-on-1-coaching)
- Resources
  
  Show submenu for Resources 
  
    - [The People First Leadership Academy](http://www.peoplefirstpotential.com)
    - [Connect2Lead Newsletter](https://peoplefirstps.com/connect2lead-newsletter)
    - [Books](https://peoplefirstps.com/books)
    - [Workshop Calendar](https://peoplefirstps.com/workshop-calendar)
- [About](https://peoplefirstps.com/about)
- [Contact](https://peoplefirstps.com/contact-us)

Open main navigation

Close main navigation

- [Home](https://peoplefirstps.com)
- [Leadership](https://peoplefirstps.com/leadership-program-design)
  
  Show submenu for Leadership 
  
    - [The Leadership Challenge®](https://peoplefirstps.com/the-leadership-challenge)
    - [The Leadership Practices Inventory®](https://peoplefirstps.com/lpi)
    - [Supervisor Training](https://peoplefirstps.com/supervisor-training)
    - [Leaders at Every Level](https://peoplefirstps.com/leaders-at-every-level)
    - [Leadership Coaching](https://peoplefirstps.com/leadership-coaching)
    - [Leadership Program Design](https://peoplefirstps.com/leadership-program-design)
- [Teams](https://peoplefirstps.com/executive-teams)
  
  Show submenu for Teams 
  
    - [Executive Teams](https://peoplefirstps.com/executive-teams)
    - [Team Building](https://peoplefirstps.com/team-building)
    - [People Practices](https://peoplefirstps.com/people-practices)
    - [Communication Skills](https://peoplefirstps.com/communication-skills)
    - [Trust at Work](https://peoplefirstps.com/trust-at-work)
    - [Personality Style](https://peoplefirstps.com/personality-style)
    - [Conflict at Work](https://peoplefirstps.com/conflict-at-work)
- Personal Growth
  
  Show submenu for Personal Growth 
  
    - [Soft Skills](https://peoplefirstps.com/soft-skills)
    - [Your Voice Matters](https://peoplefirstps.com/your-voice-matters)
    - [Emotional Intelligence](https://peoplefirstps.com/emotional-intelligence)
    - [1:1 Coaching](https://peoplefirstps.com/1-on-1-coaching)
- Resources
  
  Show submenu for Resources 
  
    - [The People First Leadership Academy](http://www.peoplefirstpotential.com)
    - [Connect2Lead Newsletter](https://peoplefirstps.com/connect2lead-newsletter)
    - [Books](https://peoplefirstps.com/books)
    - [Workshop Calendar](https://peoplefirstps.com/workshop-calendar)
- [About](https://peoplefirstps.com/about)
- [Contact](https://peoplefirstps.com/contact-us)

[All posts](https://blog.peoplefirstps.com/connect2lead/all)

 September 7, 2022

# Healthy Team Conflict In The Workplace

[Deb Calvert](https://blog.peoplefirstps.com/connect2lead/author/deb-calvert)  ·   2 minute read

![Graphic Showing Talking and Asking Example](https://blog.peoplefirstps.com/hubfs/example1.svg)Healthy team conflict? Yes, it is possible. In fact, it's essential for highly effective teams.

Conflict is healthy when it's aim is to improve the outcomes for the team. It's healthy when it's respectful and not personal. It's healthy when it's out in the open, visible to all members of the team and available equally so everyone can safely participate.

Healthy conflict requires openness and an ability to entertain others' ideas. Team members need to set aside ego and avoid becoming defensive in order for conflict to be healthy.

The benefits of creating a team atmosphere that embraces healthy conflict are numerous and profound.

## 5 Benefits of Healthy Team Conflict

### 1. Healthy Team Conflict Is A Sign Of Trust & Security

Teams often attempt to avoid conflict because it feels negative and counter-productive. The negative associations with conflict cause us to over-compensate by dodging disagreements altogether.

While group harmony is a noble aim, true unity comes when team members trust each other enough to discuss (even debate!) issues fully. When members of the team feel secure enough to express dissenting opinions, a firm foundation of trust results. On the contrary, if people don't feel safe enough to dissent, trust in the team and its decisions will diminish.

### 2. Healthy Team Conflict Invites Diverse Points of View

Mining for conflict ensures that all voices will be heard. Team members need to make each other feel safe enough to share differing opinions and alternative approaches. For some, voicing a dissenting opinion feels too risky. Seeing that healthy conflict helps the team and does not harm dissenters will liberate more voices and draw out more points of view.

### 3. Healthy Team Conflict surfaces potential issues

With more ideas, opinions and viewpoints, the team will have more to work with. This includes the surfacing of more potential problems -- good to know and consider early on!

### 4. Healthy Team Conflict Builds Commitment

When conflict is suppressed and people feel they haven't been heard, commitment to action items will be superficial. To get true commitment and an "all in" investment from team members, it's imperative that everyone's voice be heard and everyone's ideas be weighed by the group. It may take more time, and it may occasionally get messy, but the process of full engagement will yield deeper commitment.

### 5. Healthy Team Conflict Leads To Better Decisions

With full discussion and debate, a closer look at all the ideas and inputs, and the resulting commitment, teams will make better decisions.

When teams put too much emphasis on being expedient, they often sacrifice time spent on exploring divergent thoughts. These teams count quick decisions as "wins" and push team members to endorse majority opinions right away. The resulting "group think" and disenfranchising of group members compromises team effectiveness.

Share: [facebook-f icon](http://www.facebook.com/share.php?u=https://blog.peoplefirstps.com/connect2lead/healthy-conflict-0) [linkedin-in icon](http://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https://blog.peoplefirstps.com/connect2lead/healthy-conflict-0) [twitter icon](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?url=https://blog.peoplefirstps.com/connect2lead/healthy-conflict-0) [envelope icon](mailto:?body=https://blog.peoplefirstps.com/connect2lead/healthy-conflict-0)

## Related posts

[![Graphic Showing Communication Asking for Example](https://blog.peoplefirstps.com/hubfs/exampleeeee-2.svg)](https://blog.peoplefirstps.com/connect2lead/healthy-conflict)

[conflict](https://blog.peoplefirstps.com/connect2lead/topic/conflict)

### [Healthy Team Conflicts In The Workplace](https://blog.peoplefirstps.com/connect2lead/healthy-conflict)

[![basketball](https://blog.peoplefirstps.com/hubfs/Graphic%20Showing%20Playing%20Basketball.svg)](https://blog.peoplefirstps.com/connect2lead/internal-competition)

[conflict resolution](https://blog.peoplefirstps.com/connect2lead/topic/conflict-resolution)

### [What to Do When Internal Competition Is Hurting Your Team](https://blog.peoplefirstps.com/connect2lead/internal-competition)

[![Graphic Showing a Family Walking with a Dog](https://blog.peoplefirstps.com/hubfs/walkdog-1.svg)](https://blog.peoplefirstps.com/connect2lead/teamwork-skills-in-the-workplace-and-at-home)

[team-building](https://blog.peoplefirstps.com/connect2lead/topic/team-building)

### [How to Cross Apply Teamwork Skills in the Workplace and at Home](https://blog.peoplefirstps.com/connect2lead/teamwork-skills-in-the-workplace-and-at-home)

![PFPS](https://blog.peoplefirstps.com/hubfs/PFPS.svg)

### Deb Calvert, founder

Putting PEOPLE First since 2005 [deb.calvert@peoplefirstps.com](mailto:deb.calvert@peoplefirstps.com)

[PFPS Information](https://peoplefirstps.com/about)

![C2L](https://blog.peoplefirstps.com/hubfs/C2L.svg)

### Newsletter Sign-Up

Join the CONNECT Community for weekly updates, free courses, and bonus content.

[Newsletter Sign-Up](https://peoplefirstps.com/sign-up-connect-community)

![PFLA](https://blog.peoplefirstps.com/hubfs/PFLA.svg)

### Leadership Academy

Live, eLearning, pre-recorded, coaching, and assessment learning experiences.

[Leadership Academy](https://www.peoplefirstpotential.com/)

#### Sitemap

**Home**

**Leadership**  
[The Leadership Challenge®](https://peoplefirstps.com/the-leadership-challenge)  
[The Leadership Practices Inventory®](https://peoplefirstps.com/lpi)   
[Supervisor Training](https://peoplefirstps.com/supervisor-training)   
[Leaders at Every Level ](https://peoplefirstps.com/leaders-at-every-level)  
[Leadership Coaching ](https://peoplefirstps.com/leadership-coaching)  
[Custom Leadership Programs](https://peoplefirstps.com/leadership-program-design)

**Teams**  
[Executive Teams](https://peoplefirstps.com/executive-teams)  
[Team Building](https://peoplefirstps.com/team-building)   
[People Practices ](https://peoplefirstps.com/people-practices)  
[Communication Skills ](https://peoplefirstps.com/communication-skills)  
[Trust at Work ](https://peoplefirstps.com/trust-at-work)  
[Personality Style ](https://peoplefirstps.com/personality-style)  
[Conflict at Work](https://peoplefirstps.com/conflict-at-work)

**Personal Growth**  
[Soft Skills](https://peoplefirstps.com/soft-skills)  
[Your Voice Matters](https://peoplefirstps.com/your-voice-matters)  
[Emotional Intelligence](https://peoplefirstps.com/emotional-intelligence)  
[Discover Your Strengths](https://peoplefirstps.com/discover-your-strengths)  
[1:1 Coaching](https://peoplefirstps.com/1-on-1-coaching)

**Resources**  
[PFLA](http://www.peoplefirstpotential.com)  
[Connect2Lead Blog](https://blog.peoplefirstps.com/connect2lead)  
[Newsletter Subscription](https://peoplefirstps.com/connect2lead-newsletter)  
[Books](https://peoplefirstps.com/books)

[About](https://peoplefirstps.com/about)

[**Contact**](https://peoplefirstps.com/contact-us)

facebook-f icon linkedin-in icon twitter icon instagram icon

```
©2023 People First Productivity Solutions. All rights reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement and Privacy Policy. Material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with prior written permission from People First Productivity Solutions.
```

 

 

```json
{
  "@context" : "http://schema.org",
  "@type" : "Article",
  "author" : {
    "@type" : "Person",
    "name" : [ "Deb Calvert" ],
    "url" : "https://blog.peoplefirstps.com/connect2lead/author/deb-calvert"
  },
  "datePublished" : "2022-09-07T13:00:00+0000",
  "description" : "People on a team often avoid team conflict because it feels uncomfortable, negative and counter-productive. But in reality, it can have numerous benefits!",
  "headline" : "Healthy Team Conflict In The Workplace",
  "image" : "https://2524398.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/2524398/example.svg",
  "publisher" : {
    "@type" : "Organization",
    "logo" : {
      "@type" : "ImageObject",
      "url" : "https://2524398.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/2524398/people%20first%20logo%20xlarge-1.png"
    },
    "name" : "People First Productivity Solutions"
  },
  "url" : "https://blog.peoplefirstps.com/connect2lead/healthy-conflict-0"
}
```