"I'm so glad you brought that up--it is critical that we consider that point before we move forward," the group leader responded. "What else should we consider?"
The feeling in the room immediately lightened, and a robust--and friendly--debate continued. In the end, a course of action was determined, and the meeting participants left with handshakes and smiles all around.
How could this be? It turns out that mutually respectful disagreements actually strengthen our connections with others. In fact, when group members are always in agreement, the group is both less productive and less trusting than if there is a climate that encourages people to share different points of view.
Try an experiment--think of a situation where you can encourage others to share diverse viewpoints. How does encouraging this kind of discussion affect the feeling in the group?
