Encouraging Constructive Disagreement in the Workplace, by Jonathan H. Westover PhD

Abstract: This article examines how disagreement, when approached constructively, can offer benefits for organizations by improving outcomes, as research demonstrates that exposure to diverse opinions and dissenting viewpoints enhances decision making, problem solving, and innovation by reducing assumptions and blind spots as contradictory perspectives push individuals to rethink existing mental models. It presents examples of companies that foster disagreement, such as IDEO encouraging "constructive friction" between teammates from different backgrounds and Pixar empowering all employees to challenge ideas, while in healthcare the Cleveland Clinic incentivizes physicians to question guidelines and technology giants like Google expect disagreements and see them as opportunities rather than threats. Finally, the article provides recommendations for cultivating constructive disagreement through establishing psychological safety, training employees in civil arguments, employing diverse teams, and institutionalizing disagreement with roles intended to play devil's advocate, asserting that when handled respectfully, disagreement should be a prized asset that makes organizations more adaptive and able to consistently outperform.