Conflict – it isn’t always a bad thing.

When talking with NPO leaders and board members, one topic that always comes up is conflict and how it interferes with the productivity of an organization. While certain conflict can paralyze an organization, some conflict is a good thing. Conflict can spur creativity, help to perfect an idea, and prevent groupthink.

The main types of conflict are: relationship conflict, task conflict and process conflict. Relationship conflict is emotional and occurs on a personal level – it does not belong at work and is not beneficial. Task conflict is disagreement about the work being done, and process conflict is disagreement about the strategy being taken to achieve a specific task.

Although there are different types of conflict, people tend to think all conflict is bad and avoid it at all costs. So, how can you ensure your board or team experiences good conflict?

1. Monitor the size of your board or the number of people you have on a team. You need enough people to meet the needs of your organization, but not so many that you over represent a particular group, or allow members to feel like they can become inactive.

2. Invite different perspectives – literally. If everyone is in agreement, then ask people to come up with alternative conclusions or solutions.

3. Appoint a Devil’s Advocate at each meeting. This person will encourage people to look for problems and offer alternative viewpoints to the group.

4. Structure discussion guidelines to prevent board members from arriving at a solution prematurely.

5. Establish a procedure for protecting differing viewpoints. You want people to know they can offer a novel idea or perspective without fear of rejection or ridicule from the group.

6. Develop a 2nd solution for each project or initiative. This forces people to discuss alternatives in a constructive way.

7. Be aware of the clock! Discussions shouldn’t drag on forever, but the group shouldn’t attempt to arrive at a conclusion because of time pressure. Take the time to be thorough and plan ahead to avoid making hasty decisions.