Why You’re Bad at Disagreeing (And How to Fix It)

How do you engage in conflict at work without alienating those around you? In this episode of HBR IdeaCast, Harvard Kennedy School professor Julia Minson shares what her research has shown about how we typically disagree with coworkers and direct reports--and how we can do it better. She explains research about why words matter more than intentions, how the goal of changing someone else's mind is often unrealistic, and how to stop disagreements from escalating and upending your culture. Books, tools, and more: store.hbr.org Follow us: https://hbr.org/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/harvard-business-review/ https://www.facebook.com/HBR/ https://twitter.com/HarvardBiz https://www.instagram.com/harvard_business_review Sign up for Newsletters: https://hbr.org/email-newsletters #HarvardBusinessReview #YourCareer #Career #Job #Work #Business #Harvard #HarvardBusinessSchool Copyright © 2026 Harvard Business School Publishing. All rights reserved. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices