5 Best Ways to Work with Disagreement

Evelyn Tian
Disagreements in the workplace are inevitable, especially for leaders and managers navigating team dynamics and decision-making. How leaders handle workplace conflict, differing opinions, and tough conversations directly impacts trust, communication, and team performance.

This blog outlines five practical ways leaders can work with disagreements using emotional intelligence, effective communication, and conflict management skills. Designed for modern leadership and professional development, it offers actionable strategies to turn workplace disagreements into opportunities for stronger collaboration and better outcomes.

5 Best Ways to Work with Disagreement

Disagreements at work are normal. If you’ve ever been in a meeting where everyone nods politely but secretly disagrees, you know the real problem isn’t conflict, instead, it’s how we handle it.

Strong leaders don’t avoid disagreements. They know how to work with them in a way that keeps teams aligned, respected, and moving forward.

Here are five practical ways to do exactly that.

1. Remember: it’s not personal (even when it feels like it)

When someone pushes back on your idea, it can feel like a judgment on you. Most of the time, it’s not. It’s just different priorities, pressures, or perspectives.

Good leaders pause and ask:

What problem are we actually trying to solve?

What’s this person likely optimizing for?

Shifting from “Why are they not agreeing with me?” to “What are they seeing that I’m not?” changes the entire tone of the conversation.

2. Slow down and actually listen

In workplace disagreements, people often listen just long enough to jump in. That usually makes things louder, not clearer. While I teach programs for leadership development, emotional intelligence, etc. this is an area that I can also con continue practicing. 

Instead, try this:

  • Let them finish.
  • Summarize what you heard: “So what I am hearing is...”
  • Ask one clarifying question to show curiosity, to show you are hearing them. "I heard you mention risks. What kind of risks do you see?"

When people feel heard, they’re more open - even if the final decision doesn’t go their way.

3. Name the tension instead of ignoring it

Unspoken tension is exhausting.

High-EQ leaders don’t pretend everything’s fine when it’s not.

Simple phrases go a long way:

  • “It feels like we’re not quite aligned yet.”
  • “This seems like a sensitive topic.”
  • “I see energy is dropping. How can I boost our energy? ”

Naming the moment lowers the temperature and signals psychological safety.

4. Disagree without sounding like a verdict

How you disagree matters more than the disagreement itself.

Absolute language shuts people down.

Try swapping:

  • “That won’t work.” → “One concern I have is…”
  • “That's not true.” → “I see it a bit differently”
  • “We already tried that” → “Here’s what happened last time we explored it”

This keeps the discussion open and professional — especially important in leadership roles.

5. Decide, align, and move forward

Not every disagreement needs full agreement.

Sometimes leadership means making a call and helping the team align afterward.

That can sound like:

  • “We don’t all agree, but here’s the direction we’re taking.”
  • “I appreciate the pushback - let’s commit, inspect and adapt as needed.”

People don’t need leaders who avoid conflict. They need leaders who can handle it calmly and clearly.

Final Thoughts

Healthy disagreement is a sign of trust, not dysfunction.

Teams that can challenge ideas respectfully make better decisions, and leaders who model that behavior set the tone for everything that follows.

Disagreement isn’t the problem.

Avoiding it, mishandling it, or taking it personally usually is.

Check out our leadership program, which can lead you toward ICF-certified coach credentials - a meaningful add-on that opens up future career possibilities.

Facilitation is a critical skill in both professional and informal settings, serving as a cornerstone for effective group communication, problem-solving, and decision-making.

Do you know that facilitation is one of the most thought after skills in companies? Great facilitation increases engagement.


About me - the Author

Before we delve deeper, if you've recently stumbled upon my blog and find yourself wondering, "Who is she?" "Why should I be reading her blogs?"
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  • I hold the designation of Certified Agile Coach (CAC) with the Scrum Alliance, the sole member-driven nonprofit certifying body in the agile space since 2001. Additionally, I am honored to have been recognized as both a Certified Team Coach and Certified Enterprise Coach with the Scrum Alliance for over a decade.
  • Since 2011, I've been privileged to mentor Agile Coaches across the globe, guiding passionate practitioners from 80 countries (as of Nov. 2023) in their professional journeys. Among my mentees are Certified Agile Coaches, Certified Scrum Trainers (CST), Accredited Kanban Trainers, and individuals who share their expertise at conferences worldwide.
  • Furthermore, I hold the Professional Certified Coach (PCC) credential from the International Coaching Federation (ICF). I am also trained as an Advanced Certified Coach Mentor, and a professional coach supervisor. I specialize in providing coaching supervision for professional coaches to support their ongoing development.
  • As the co-founder of the Enterprise Coaching Institute, an ICF accredited training provider, I am committed to offering coaching-based leadership training. Our aim is to empower leaders to excel by equipping them with professional coaching skills and to foster the growth of professional coaches in the industry.

I speak and keynote at international conferences since 2011 about organization transformation, Agile, leadership, agile coaching, and professional coaching.

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