Boardwise: Is there a best way to disagree?
By:
Christopher MaricleSummer 2013
Dear BoardWise,
I recently watched a TED-talk (ted.com) by Margaret Heffernan entitled “Dare to Disagree.” It focuses on the importance of constructive conflict. How do these ideas ‘“fit”‘ with the work of boards? Is there a ‘“best”‘ way to disagree?
Signed,
Not Sure About Conflict
Dear Not Sure,
Ms. Heffernan’s remarks, viewed more than 800,000 times, are consistent with other professional literature regarding how avoidance of conflict can prevent good thinking among individuals and in organizations. It’s important to distinguish personal conflict from ideological conflict. Personal conflict has to do with the emotional reaction we often experience when we feel we’re being targeted or ignored. That kind of conflict—including personal attacks—damages trust and makes productive conversations even more difficult because people cannot be completely open about their thinking. Many of us have a natural inclination to avoid this kind of psychological discomfort, so we hold back.
In his book, “The Five Dysfunctions of a Team,” author and consultant Patrick Lencioni offers a compelling rationale for the value of ideological conflict. This kind of conflict is about ideas and information, and Lencioni proposes that pushing back against each other’s ideas and interpretations of information is necessary to unlock the collective wisdom of any team.
Heffernan suggests that one of the requirements to create the conditions where this kind of conflict can take place includes bringing together people of “different backgrounds, different disciplines, different ways of thinking, and different experiences.” The implication is that the diversity of the group is more likely to avoid groupthink because of the range of perspectives that are built into the team.
Because boards are elected, this diversity is virtually built into school governance by design. What boards need to develop and maintain is a culture of trust and respect that makes it safe for members to share conflicting ideas. Trust, according to Lencioni, is a prerequisite to productive conflict. Board members, especially new ones, can be caught off guard by the nature of the board’s work. Within days of election, a new board member might be required to vote on serious issues facing the district, including closing schools or eliminating teaching positions. These are important and highly charged topics; emotions can run deep. When a board member feels strongly about a position, disagreement from a fellow board member can feel like a personal attack, and this is exacerbated by the Brown Act requirement that many of these discussions are conducted in public.
It takes practice to develop the board meeting skills necessary to have constructive conflict. Specifically, board members might need opportunities to practice ‘pushing back’ with their colleagues in low-risk situations, which can often be achieved in a governance study session or retreat. By practicing the skill of pushing back, board members learn to trust each other and collectively create the culture of healthy dialogue. Building this trust promotes the board’s ability to have difficult conversations on high-stakes issues.
It’s important to remember that conflict itself is not the goal. Constructive conflict is simply a term that implies the practice of healthy deliberation. The representative nature of elected school boards requires this kind of deliberation, because board members individually and collectively have a responsibility to represent the ideas of their community. They are elected specifically to bring different perspectives to the board table.
Conversations about accountability and direction at the district level often revolve around reporting data and information. Heffernan suggests that the availability of information is rarely a problem. It is rather the willingness of a group of people to look at data objectively and have a constructive dialogue and deliberation about what it means. She concludes by saying, “the truth won’t set us free until we develop the skill, the habit, the talent and the moral courage to use it. Openness isn’t the end, it’s the beginning.”
May all your conflict be productive. Good luck!