Have you ever wished there was less tension during a work meeting?
Me too; and after review, I won’t wish it away.
Tension is related to conflict and conflict creates clarity. While it may be uncomfortable, that tension is what transforms a problem into an opportunity. It’s also transformative for learning. We must diverge to truly be able to converge as work communities.
When there is a lack of tension or avoidance of healthy conflict, it means people don’t care enough. They settle for what in the moment “feels” better or appears “nice” to alleviate the tension and avoid the issue at hand.
Short term, you will feel better. Long term, you’re creating bigger issues that become problems for your entire team and organization.
When you settle for “nice” in these situations, remind yourself of this acronym:
N: Nothing
I: In (me)
C: Cares
E: Enough.
Perhaps remembering this will help you muster up the courage to move through your discomfort to affect meaningful change for the good of your team and organization.