“Avoiding conflict can. . . be ruinous.”

“I will say that avoiding conflict can actually be ruinous for achieving buy-in for an idea. . . .

Conflict concerning the issues at hand can be constructive, and even essential! Conflict engages. If people have no opinions, no objections, and no emotions, it usually means they don't care. And you'll be hard-pressed getting their help when you have to actually implement your idea. . . .

If you don't believe me, try this experiment next time you're in a meeting where someone is advocating for an idea: If some conflict emerges, watch the group and see how people sit up and the energy level rises. Disagreement may seem like a bad thing—but it grabs people's attention.?? . . .

Good ideas need active, engaged support for a considerable time until they reshape how we think about and do things for the better. To make positive, lasting change, you need to energize people, and at a deep enough level to make buy-in—then ultimate implementation—achievable. And you need conflict to accomplish that.