John Kelly. Gary Cohn. Rex Tillerson. Nikki Haley. Jeff Sessions. Steve Bannon. Reince Priebus. Mike Pompeo. Kellyanne Conway.
That’s a partial list of the high-profile figures who left the White House during President Donald Trump’s first term in office (2017–2021). High turnover is common in any presidential administration, given the stress inherent in these top jobs and the difficulty of negotiating conflict. The five presidents who preceded Trump had turnover rates ranging from 66% to 78%, and Joe Biden’s rate was 72%, according to the Brookings Institute. By the end of Trump’s first term, the turnover rate for top decision makers stood at an extraordinary 92%. (Just a few months into his second term, rumors began to fly that Trump was looking to replace his defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, who was revealed to have shared classified military information in group chats.)
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Much of the churn in the first Trump White House seemed to arise from conflicts and policy differences with the president and among staff members. But at a March 2018 press conference, Trump suggested that any conflict within the White House had been beneficial: “I like conflict. I like having two people with different points of view, and I certainly have that, and then I make a decision. But I like watching it, I like seeing it, and I think it’s the best way to go. I like different points of view.”
Is conflict indeed an asset in negotiating and decision-making teams? It can be if it’s managed constructively.
The Right Kind of Conflict
In the 1970s, psychologist Irving Janis used the term “groupthink” to describe the common tendency for group members to withhold their true views for fear of being excluded or antagonizing others. In real-life conflict scenarios, groupthink can lead teams to overlook critical information, ignore looming crises, and avoid negotiating conflict.
The best leaders avoid groupthink by surrounding themselves with people with diverse views, styles, and perspectives, conflict management expert Jeff Weiss told NPR’s Marketplace. This diversity of opinion helps leaders view a problem from all angles, as Trump seemed to imply in his 2018 press conference.
At the same time, diversity of opinion can foster unconstructive and damaging conflict scenarios. In their research, University of Virginia professor Kristin Behfar and her colleagues found that when negotiating teams disagree on substantive issues, such as interests, priorities, and goals, the conflict management process can lead them to better outcomes than if they hadn’t disagreed. But if the conflict becomes personal, the team is likely to be far less productive.
Strategies for Negotiating Conflict
How can we engage in constructive dissent in group meetings and negotiations without being sabotaged by destructive conflict?
One strategy is to negotiate differences behind the scenes. When negotiating with another team, your team needs to present a unified front. Conflict may be useful behind the scenes, but at the table it can be a sign of weakness and disarray. For this reason, spend at least twice as much time preparing for an upcoming negotiation as you expect to spend at the table, advises Cornell University professor Elizabeth Mannix. Begin by debating the issues to be discussed and developing priorities. Aim to achieve consensus on the team’s goals and the strategies you will use to achieve them.
Groups can also accept that conflict is inevitable and prepare for it. Although team members may try to express their differences professionally and respectfully, there may be times when disagreements become personal and unproductive. When workplace conflict arises, leaders can encourage team members to reveal the hidden interests and concerns behind their accusations and demands through active listening. As they navigate real-life conflict scenarios, team members may come to view their differing preferences as opportunities for value-creating trade-offs.
What strategies have you found helpful for negotiating conflict in teams?
Claim your FREE copy: The New Conflict Management
In our FREE special report from the Program on Negotiation at Harvard Law School - The New Conflict Management: Effective Conflict Resolution Strategies to Avoid Litigation – renowned negotiation experts uncover unconventional approaches to conflict management that can turn adversaries into partners.
