KEEPING TEAM CONFLICT ALIVE

In this article, freelance business writer Shari Caudron proposes that conflict can make teams more creative and more cohesive, and she back s it up with real-world examples at such companies as Motorola, Develo pment Dimensions International, and the design arm of Nissan automobil es. The overall lesson for training professionals and team leaders is not to try to stamp out the weeds of conflict but to nurture them: ''F rom the roots of conflict come the fruits of innovation.'' But first, trainers themselves must become comfortable with the messy notion of c onflict so that they can foster conflict of a constructive kind in the ir organizations. Emphasis on the word constructive. Just high-minded theory? Not according to Caudron, who says that line managers at DDI l ist ''managing conflict'' as number 7 on their Top 10 List of Prioriti es. Says a DDI executive, ''It used to be much farther down on their l ist. There are reasons for the change.'' A major contributing factor t o the rise of workplace conflict has;been the advent of a team-based a pproach to working. The key is to manage such conflict effectively and to leverage it to spark the kind of innovative ideas that lead to new , highly marketable, high-quality products and services-which we all k now result in big profits and competitive advantage. As to whether the traditional and sacrosanct goal of consensus is still the number 1 wa y to go, a specialist at a large, information-technology firm points o ut, ''We can agree our way into horrendous decisions.'' The article in cludes some tips on how to encourage good disputes.