During our IDS® sessions, our team members are polite and diplomatic, which prevents us from discussing the real personal or departmental conflicts driving our operational issues. How do we break through this false harmony to identify and solve the real human friction?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

False harmony is the enemy of progress. If your team is being polite instead of honest during IDS®, you are wasting time solving symptoms while the real dysfunction festers. To get to the issue behind the issue, you must build a culture of healthy, open conflict. The first step is for the Visionary and Integrator to model vulnerability. If the leaders cannot admit their own mistakes or call out friction directly, the rest of the team will keep their guards up. When an issue is raised, you must dig into the interpersonal and departmental realities. Use the prompt of asking what the real problem is three times. When someone presents an operational issue, ask why that happened, then ask why again. Often, you will find the root cause is a lack of trust, a GWC™ breakdown, or a lack of clarity on the Accountability Chart. If a department head is failing to deliver, do not talk about the process. Address the capability of the person in the seat. It is uncomfortable, but it is the only way to solve the issue permanently. Once the team realizes that healthy conflict leads to actual resolution rather than personal attacks, they will stop hiding behind polite language. The result is a highly functional team that solves problems once and for all.