Conflict. It’s inevitable as we work harder to build and maintain a diversified workforce. Some conflict is expected – even welcome – in work and care. With diverse backgrounds, we will not all think the same or work the same, and that’s okay. If you aren’t seeing conflict in your team, as the leader, you may need to implement strategies to spur conflict in a healthy and organized way.

But conflict is uncomfortable, especially if you were raised to “be nice” or to “let it go” or have come across advice like “that’s just the way she is.” Conflict is not dirty. It is a part of relationships. And, hopefully, you have relationships with the people you work alongside every day. Working through conflict helps make relationships stronger.

I have friends and colleagues who feel like every conflict is the end of the road, and that they have to leave their roles when conflict arises. That’s bananas. We have to work through conflicts together. I’ve learned that sometimes the other person in the conflict doesn’t even have a clue that there’s a conflict occurring. Or, if they do know there’s a conflict, sometimes they, too, do not know how to approach subsequent work without awkwardness or even start a conversation about what happened.

It all comes down to communication, and that takes practice. Don’t run away from conflict. Press into it. Conflict builds relationships, and relationships make life and work better.