Dropbox VP: 'Avoiding confrontation is holding business back'

Adrienne Gormley, VP CX and Head of EMEA, Dropbox, speaks to HR Grapevine about why it's healthy to disagree at work...

Working well together has long been recognised as fundamental to a business’s success. That is because good teamwork creates synergy, which in turn, leads to more creativity and innovation as well as better productivity from individuals.

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'You win. I win. We win'. Your Guide to Managing and Resolving Workplace Conflict

However, [being a] collaborative team does not mean leaving your feelings and opinions at the door. All too often we mistake placation for harmony – agreeing with people’s ideas when really constructive disagreement would produce better results.

Far from being a bad thing, Dropbox’s latest study with The School of Life revealed that it is actually healthy to argue in the workplace. Indeed, while over a third (34%) of workers dislike arguments amongst teams, the avoidance of confrontation is holding businesses back.