Generally speaking, we try to avoid conflict in the workplace because it can create discomfort, uncertainty and anxiety. However, we’re only human. Conflict in the workplace is inevitable — but it doesn’t have to be uncomfortable.
When approached in a positive way, workplace conflict can actually spark innovation and teamwork. But it must be rooted in trust.
Below, Built In connected with Ryan Stutesman, engineering manager at education technology Wyzant, to hear what healthy conflict looks like on their team and how it’s benefited their product and company overall.
“Collaboration nearly always leads to better outcomes, therefore leading to more stable applications,” Stutesman said.
First, what does healthy conflict look like on your team?
A proof of concept (POC) for an offline process was created in Python and we decided to turn it into a full-fledged app. As some folks on the team began to hear about this, there were questions about the language choice. We had some Python in-house, but it wasn’t a language that was officially supported by our engineering team.
I encouraged them to bring this up and after some back and forth about the pros and cons of using Python or Go, the team decided to build a POC in Go to compare the two. After this, it became pretty clear that we should use Go for this application. Our engineers would be able to build and maintain this app with a lot less friction and we didn’t lose any functionality. After this, I felt like my team was better equipped to have the “best tool for the job” conversations.
It’s impossible to have healthy conflict without trust.”
How has your team and product benefited from healthy conflict?
Both the team and our product have benefited from healthy conflict. First, it’s helped the team be more productive. I’m not here to make a bunch of decisions and shove them down the pipeline. I want my team to make their own decisions. If a team wants to make solid decisions, participating in healthy conflict is a key part of the process.
Healthy conflict has also helped us build more stable products. If a team understands how to use healthy conflict and feedback, they will (sometimes subconsciously) use these tools to come to the best technical decisions together. On a team with unhealthy conflict or silos, people end up making a decision on their own with no feedback. Collaboration nearly always leads to better outcomes, therefore leading to more stable applications.
What have you done to create a culture where healthy conflict can occur? And perhaps more importantly, what have you done to ensure debates remain respectful and constructive?
It’s impossible to have healthy conflict without trust. Trust is foundational on my teams, so I do everything I can to build trust before I encourage conflict. When it comes to ensuring debates remain respectful, I try to see myself as the mediator. If I feel as though a comment or question wasn’t said in an approachable manner, I will interject and ask the person to rephrase, explaining how it could have come across poorly the first time around. The most impactful strategy I take to ensure debates remain respectful, though, is asking questions. This approach really encourages collaboration and leaves a lot of space for discussion and feedback.
