Don’t aim to get along - aim for constructive disagreement

A workplace that prioritises “getting along,” “being a team player,” and “avoiding conflict” risks making agreeability the dominant cultural trait—and risks killing innovation in the process.

Disagreement isn’t the enemy. Disagreement is the spark.

When everyone nods along, bad ideas survive longer than they should. When conflict is avoided, the best ideas never get tested, and performance slides.

The most valuable employees aren’t the ones who agree with everything—you want the ones who respectfully challenge, push for something better, and ask, “What if we tried it a different way?”

Organisations that prioritise agreeability create fragile systems. They may feel smooth on the surface, but underneath, there’s stagnation. The companies that win build a culture where debate isn’t personal—it’s expected.

Where people know they can challenge assumptions without risking their jobs or reputations. It creates the beating heart of innovation.

Innovation happens when smart, passionate people feel safe enough to disagree—not because they enjoy conflict, but because they care about the work and the outcomes it provides.

So, if your team is too agreeable, don’t celebrate. Worry.

It might mean they’ve stopped thinking, stopped questioning, and stopped pushing for better.

And that’s a far bigger risk than a little healthy debate.