We all want to work in an office where people are polite, considerate, and kind. But it’s possible to be too nice, failing to disagree when we need to or surface new ideas or innovations. In fact, in some companies, “I don’t agree” is the same as saying “You’re an idiot.” You can’t have a diverse, inclusive, productive team without some healthy fights. In this session, we’ll talk about how teams can smartly tackle uncomfortable conversations and disagreements and how managers have an obligation to design conflicts that allow their teams to be creative and productive. We’ll explore how to make it OK for people to dissent, debate, and express their true opinions. We’ll look at case studies of disagreements that have gone wrong and talk about ways to fix them.

Programming descriptions are generated by participants and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of SXSW.