Teamwork: Working with People who Disagree with You

     While brainstorming blogpost topics for the week, I reflected on some of my past experiences working on a team or with a partner. One particular instance came to mind for me. It was an instance  in which my partner and I had polar opposite opinions that made it extremely difficult to work together. It was a continuous back and forth of ideas that never clicked and major frustration on both sides.
     I know that I will come across similar situations as a future professional, especially in a management position, so I chose to research what benefits may come from such a challenge in the workplace. I came across a Forbes article (link below), called "Why Working With People Who Disagree With You Is Good For Your Business," by Tori Utley. She broke it down into four main points:

1. It will be challenging:

You will be pushed to think outside of yourself and this will make you a stronger leader who can stay grounded and handle challenges better in the future.

2. It will make you a critical thinker.

You will learn to think critically in order to understand a variety of viewpoints and ideas.

3. You will learn to respect views that are different from yours.

You will find a respect for views different than your own by taking in other people's thoughts.

4. You will end up making a better decision.

Different viewpoints and ideas from a diverse team will end in a better, more well-rounded end result.

     We all have to work with people who differ from us at one point or another. Rather than get frustrated, think about the benefits of the situation, as explained by Utley.
   

https://www.forbes.com/sites/toriutley/2016/08/25/working-with-people-who-dont-agree-with-you-and-why-your-company-needs-them/#6b28767077ad