I’m sure you’ll agree, disagreement happens.

Often it can become a strengthening agent in a work relationship or on a team.

Sometimes, disagreement can lead to toxicity at work. Here are three unproductive stances when dealing with disagreement:

1. Resist: exhibited by behaviors such as intimidation, shame, and sabotage.
2. Undermine: acts that decrease the credibility or reputation such as personal attacks, passive aggressiveness, or sarcasm.
3. Avoid: efforts to ignore, deny, or refuse to listen.

These stances lead to win/lose and lose/lose scenarios. The solution?

Two words provide a better path: talk and appreciate.

Instead of allowing disagreement to fester or to be discounted, talking and appreciating forge better understandings.

Speaking of “talking”…I’d like to add your thoughts to the Mafost Mashup. Consider leaving a question for me on this page.