Trust turns conflict into the pursuit of truth.
I didn’t make that up. I heard it or read it somewhere and wrote it down. The point is not to spend your time learning to avoid or squirm out of conflict. The gold is in the building of trust. Constantly living and interacting with your team in a way that builds trust.
If you’ve gone a while with no conflict, you’re doing it wrong. Maybe you need to put your team to the test or be tested yourself to see what your organization is really made of.
I’m not saying you should pick a fight but simply encouraging everyone to speak their mind for a few minutes should unearth at least something. And how that conflict is handled and felt by everyone involved will speak loudly to the level of actual trust.
Does it feel like there are two sides battling each other? That someone just wants to be against?
Or is there a feeling of mutual respect and that both parties are trying to ultimately come together?
Conflict can be a very useful tool…when coupled with trust.
Work on the trust and dive into the conflicts.