Working Through Disagreement

Connect learning to your work

A practical place
to begin.

Find the actual point of disagreement

Two people can appear to disagree about everything when the gap concerns one assumption, criterion or constraint. This Skill Lab explores how to identify that point and choose a process for moving the discussion forward. It focuses on understanding the difference rather than making a disagreement disappear through a vague compromise.

In an illustrative exercise, two colleagues propose different approaches to a deadline. One is protecting quality; the other is responding to a dependency elsewhere. Describe the facts each person is using and the outcome each is trying to protect. Check whether the disagreement concerns the evidence, the goal or the preferred method.

Agree on how to decide

Choose a useful next step: verify a fact, compare options against shared criteria or ask the authorized decision owner to resolve a tradeoff. Record what is agreed and what remains open. Practice explaining your own view without assuming the other person has an unreasonable motive. The exercise is suitable for everyday professional differences and cross-team coordination. It helps create a clearer decision process while recognizing that some choices cannot satisfy every preference equally.

Topics to explore

Your learning focus.

Start where you are

Who it’s for.

Colleagues resolving differences about work or decisions

Bring a workplace situation you want to approach differently. We can discuss your experience, priorities and the support that would be useful before agreeing on delivery.

Learning that fits your context

Explore your online options.

Ask about live online, self-paced or blended online learning. The available approach, content scope and schedule are agreed for your request.

Select a preference and optional participant count in your training request. You can also leave both open for discussion.