Conflict Is A Prerequesite For Good Decision-Making
When two people always agree, one of
them is unnecessary.
— William Wrigley jr.
Innovation is fundamentally about challenging the status quo.
It surprises me when leaders surround themselves with people who are unable, or unwilling, to present divergent idea or to challenge them.
Challenging assumptions and decisions is critical to avoid one of the 9 ways leaders fail by innovation:
Innovating for themselves.
Executives, by their authority in their company, are in the best position to innovate. But because they are removed from their end customer/user they have the least inherent knowledge of them.
This combination often leads to decisions based on confirmation bias.
Successful innovation executives strive to avoid their own fallibility, seeking out divergent ideas and opportunities to examine decisions from different viewpoints.
Conflict forces leaders to consider different possibilities and explore alternative perspectives.
Conflict challenges assumptions, forcing leaders to identify personal biases.
Conflict forces leaders to address differing requirements and viewpoints and find collaborative solutions.
It’s important to note that while conflict is critical for innovation, it must be proactively managed.
Conflict can just as easily
hinder communication, create negativity, and impede progress.
Effective leadership and communication skills are essential to channeling conflict in a way that supports innovation rather than stifles it.