How conflict drives process improvement in the workplace

Disagreement is a fact of life. That is just as true in business as it is anywhere. When an organization grows, it attracts more people and that invariably results in more diverse opinions.

People will have different viewpoints, experiences and ideas, and those will clash from time to time. Harvard Business Review sees this as a positive thing, so long as it is handled properly, noting: “While diverse thinking and disagreements can be uncomfortable, they are more likely to lead partners or a team to make progress, innovate and come up with breakthrough solutions.”

Continuous improvement as conflict

Diverse thinking is good news when it comes to business process management because it is at the heart of continuous improvement. Effective business process management relies on people ‘picking fights’ and creating healthy dissent and disagreement that seeks to find a better way to work than the current status quo.

That is not to say we want a free-for-all in our enterprises. It has to begin from an agreed reference point, which is why process mapping is so vital.

Businesses need to capture the as-is state of their processes before any meaningful discussion about them can take place. The current state should be recognized for what it is. It is the concrete record of how things are currently done, regardless of how effective or authorized that may be. While a breadth of contributors is helpful, this is the place for realistic appraisal, not opinions.

Fighting words

Once the as-is picture is clear, the debate can begin. What is it that this process is trying to achieve? How effective and efficient is it? Where are the bottlenecks and breakdowns? What could be done about them?

The discussion should be respectful but robust and needs to be wide-ranging. While process experts will have significant input into the way the process can be shaped, it is important that subject matter experts are able to weigh in on the matter. Seek input from those people who know the process best, the ones who use it on a day-to-day basis, and give them a voice.

Weighing in

It is critical to create good feedback loops and enable conversations that result from suggestions. Make the process available for critique and listen well to the feedback it gets, then invite stakeholders to offer improvements.

Not every idea will be viable, or effective, but every suggestion is an opportunity to wrestle with the core purpose and the actions that make up the procedure. Every idea is a chance to engage with people who are passionate about making the process work better.

Where disagreements arise, dig deeper to identify what the sticking point really is. Could it be outdated policies, or issues of compliance that are not being addressed? Are some clinging to old paradigms for the work, or are others disregarding the needs of key participants?

These are the arguments that need to happen, and so long as they are conducted in a healthy way, they will yield results.

Crowning a new champion

When these conversations have been held, what you will be left with is a picture of what could be. That process may not be ideal, but it will be much closer than what currently exists and can form the basis of new practices going forward.

Document it, share it and start building the procedures around it to make it a reality. Most of all, keep the debate going. While the proposed process may be today’s best attempt at optimization, who knows what technology, technique or insight will emerge tomorrow. Continue to invite dissent and discussion that pushes your processes to their very best state.

According to research conducted by CCP in 2008 ,the people behind the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, more than 80 per cent of workers in the US found better solutions to workplace problems through healthy conflict. That means that four out of five of your staff may be looking for a fight that is going to improve the way they work and increase the value you can bring to your customers. Invite them into the process improvement conversation and let them argue their way to success for your business.