Why the Strongest Teams Disagree

One of the most surprising things we've learned about collaboration is that agreement isn't actually the key.

Understanding is.

Most teams spend enormous energy trying to get everyone on the same page. But some of the strongest teams we've worked with disagree all the time. The difference is that they understand where the disagreement is coming from.

They know what their teammates care about. What they're worried about. What they're optimizing for.

In other words, they understand the person behind the position.

When that understanding is missing, disagreement feels threatening. When it's present, disagreement becomes useful.

The next time someone frustrates you, try replacing this question:

"How can I convince them?"

with:

"What are they seeing that I'm not?"

Curiosity rarely eliminates disagreement, but it often transforms it.

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A question we can ask ourselves is:

What might someone else understand that I don't?