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Conflict is part of any group of workplace relationships. While it can be uncomfortable and challenging, this is natural and does not necessarily represent a problem. Similarly, conflict can be a vital part of decision-making. Here’s a brief guide on how we approach it.

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Conflict about ideas

Often in decision-making, two or more Bufferoos will have a different idea about the best way to approach a challenge or an idea. These disagreements and the resulting discussions and debates can often result in creative solutions and innovative ideas. This is very welcome.

(In some cases, it can be easier to weather a disagreement when the two [or more] Bufferoos in conflict have a foundation of a personal relationship, so this is one of the reasons we encourage participating in pair calls!)

A few things to keep in mind around this type of conflict:

• Conflict about ideas is founded in all parties wanting the best for Buffer customers and the business and simply disagreeing about the best path to achieve the desired outcome. Because of this, this is considered very healthy, and should be celebrated. (It can be helpful to keep this in mind to help avoid taking disagreements personally.) You may even want to say this out loud as a reminder to everyone involved. After all, everyone is on the same side of wanting Buffer to succeed!
• It can sometimes also arise due to differences in underlying data. This is a great place to go next. You may want to ask, “can you share the data you’re looking at to come to that conclusion?” or “are there any assumptions that this path is based on that you can share?”
• The most valuable part of this type of conflict is not just the decision/outcome, but the discussion and debate that lead to the final decision. Try to give this the time and space that it deserves. When possible, keep this transparent; it increases context, ownership, and buy-in from all involved, and it may result in new ideas from others following along.

See also: Decision-Making

Is disagreeing, correcting a mistake, or making a suggestion to improve Buffer at odds with positivity, optimism, or gratitude?

In a word, NO! One of the reasons that we changed the wording of the value from “Choose Positivity” to “Choose Optimism” is because we do not want teammates to shy away from conflict or tough conversations.

If anything, we feel that suggesting a way to improve for the future is rooted in optimism!