Is Fear of Conflict Holding Your Nonprofit Back?

When managed well, conflict can be a powerful catalyst for growth and innovation. However, many nonprofits struggle with a pervasive fear of conflict. Team members may avoid difficult conversations, sidestep contentious issues, or suppress their true opinions to maintain a facade of harmony. This avoidance can lead to unresolved tensions, stifled creativity, and suboptimal decision-making.

In his book "The Five Dysfunctions of a Team," Patrick Lencioni highlights that fear of conflict can prevent teams from engaging in necessary and productive debates. This can fundamentally undermine effective nonprofit risk management. When team members avoid conflict, they miss out on opportunities to address underlying issues and improve their work. This post describes what this looks like in practice and suggests some effective countermeasures.

How the Dysfunction Manifests:

• Suppressed Ideas: Team members hold back innovative ideas and constructive feedback to avoid potential conflict.
• Unresolved Issues: Problems fester and escalate because they are not discussed openly and resolved promptly.
• Artificial Harmony: The team operates under a fragile, false sense of agreement, which crumbles under pressure.

Why It Undermines Performance:

• Stifles Innovation: Without open debate, new ideas and solutions are less likely to emerge, limiting the organization's ability to innovate.
• Breeds Resentment: Unaddressed issues can lead to simmering resentment and passive-aggressive behavior among team members.
• Decreases Engagement: Team members become disengaged and demotivated when they feel their opinions are not valued.

What might this look like? Imagine a nonprofit focused on youth education. During a strategic planning meeting, a junior staff member raises concerns about the effectiveness of a long-standing program. Instead of addressing the issue, the senior management dismisses the feedback to avoid conflict. This decision leads to ongoing investment in an ineffective program, wasting resources that could have been redirected to more impactful initiatives.

In recent times, The Susan G. Komen Foundation faced significant internal conflict during its decision to withdraw funding from Planned Parenthood. Reports indicated that staff and board members were divided on the decision, but fear of open conflict led to a lack of transparent discussion. The resulting public backlash damaged the organization's reputation and led to a significant drop in donations.

Embracing Healthy Conflict

To overcome the fear of conflict, nonprofit leaders should encourage open dialogue and create safe spaces for dissenting opinions. Training in conflict resolution and active listening can help staff navigate disagreements constructively. Emphasizing that conflict is a natural and necessary part of growth can shift the organizational culture toward embracing healthy debates. Effective conflict is tough on the problems, not on the people.

Nonprofit leaders can foster creative, respectful conflict by engaging in Risk Alternatives’ Foundations for Growth engagement. The FFG engagement creates a core team within your nonprofit that explores risks, prioritizes them, and creates an ongoing process that addresses the most important threats and opportunities over time. Discussion and inquiry inform what the issues are and which issues are priorities. Participants learn that each perspective is just a part of the whole picture: input from others is critical to understanding the full scope of potential issues. During an FFG, it’s not just “okay” to speak up: growth and resilience require participants to be brave in pointing out potential challenges, but also curious and willing to change their perceptions in the face of facts.