We learn from our mistakes

When differences and comparison are an organisational advantage in the company

Turning conflicts into alliances can positively affect work and business

by Eva Campi, Veronica Giovale, Consuelo Sironi*.

23 April 2025

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Harvard Business Review devoted its entire March/April 2022 issue to the topic of managing polarised teams that are strongly entrenched in their positions. "Managing a polarised workforce" was the result of studies and field observations that focused on how antithetical and opposing "beliefs" can negatively affect work, not only with respect to organisational climate and well-being, but also business.

After the #Meetoo movement and Black Lives Matter, and in the light of the current rather heated and divisive American political debate, it became necessary - even then and predictive of the current situation - to reflect on and study, even in the business sector, the importance and consequences that latent and unmanaged conflicts have outside family, emotional and friendship relationships.

A unanimous key has been proposed by sociologists, psychologists and human resources experts, namely that constructive disagreement based on a sincere effort to understand the other party's perspectives can be a turning point in corporate culture and beyond. In essence, one can agree to disagree, however, at the end of the debate each person has learnt new things, unknown to the other. To quote our Marianella Sclavi, 'if you want to understand what another person is saying, you have to assume that he is right and ask him to help you see things and events from his perspective'.

In recent years, the debates, initiatives, training and change management courses offered to people within organisations on DEI issues have been really important. Needless to say, the gravitas with which they have been approached has been very different. Today, however, we can see that we are only at the beginning of a cultural change and therefore nothing is yet established. Among the most difficult issues, often addressed in a divisive and thus polarised manner, is that of gender.

The risk of a stop to alliance-based policies

Today, the legitimisation of an anti-woke approach runs the risk of generating a confusing or at least distorting arrest, which is certainly relevant with respect to the realisation of business and alliance-based cultures. Let us remember that alliance can be deployed with respect to any identity characteristic of people and has a direct impact on the advantages and privileges of an individual or a group of people. It is clear that we need to become alliance literate because in fact, without making value judgements, the dominant secular model has interpreted advantage, privilege and power very differently from the interpretation offered by the alliance model.

The current policy shouts loudly and fuels a cancel culture from a perspective whereby the value is not taking a stand against discriminatory models but, more profoundly, the cancellation of merit.

On the other hand, the experiences gathered so far testify that confrontation and the creation of alliances favour the construction of new contexts and make it possible to maintain and make the most of a wide variety of talents. Even the concept of talent is redefined through a more conscious reading of realities. Indeed, it favours the attraction of the same. In this respect, market research shows how commitment to inclusive policies in the company remains a founding value for Gen Z and one of the main reasons for orientation towards one organisation rather than another.

If we really want to continue the cultural transformation path undertaken, expand it and consolidate it, it is necessary to increase the permeability of business and organisations to these aspects and consider them as indispensable elements for innovating and interpreting leadership and entrepreneurship in a different way from what has been known so far.

The advantages of corporate alliances

So what are the advantages of building alliances within the company?

First of all, a better impact on decision making: differentiated teams make better decisions because they are able to bring different points of view and life experiences, are more innovative and therefore often more competitive.

Secondly, gender alliances foster collaboration and better conflict management, leaving more room for everyone's freedom of expression. All this also has an impact on the management of people with a bearing on both ethical aspects and effectiveness.

How, on the other hand, do we move forward with respect to the transformation of gender polarisation into alliances?

Our work within organisations leads us to state that the need exists, often it is unconscious or only intuited. Other times it is instead expressed as a request for help, i.e. one is aware of personal biases and the culture of reference, but one is not aware of how to act otherwise, so it is necessary to create a context in which one can recognise the cultural dynamics in which people are immersed and how women and men, regardless of the genders in which they identify, interpret power, privilege, alliance, cooperation and decision-making.

Whenever we have observed allies and women working with each other on gender issues, we have first witnessed an immediate growth in awareness: not only in terms of recognising that there is unfairness in certain areas, but also, for example, in the discovery of talent, in the enhancement of skills, things that often the polarisations we have introjected (even when we believe we are inclusive, both men and women) do not allow us to see clearly. Whenever we have created a context based on genuine confrontation between men and women, we have discovered that characterising differences are an organisational and decision-making advantage. They must be recognised and valued.

The story goes that Stephen Covey, asked about the management of a very quarrelsome couple on the brink of divorce, asked them a simple question, "Do you have children?" They nodded. He replied peremptorily, 'Then you know how to appreciate differences. Good work!"

*Partner Newton Spa