How friction can spark creativity at work

Friction with others can mean conflict. It can also be a dynamic that helps spark ideas, in which new thoughts and approaches bloom, solutions are found, and loopholes are closed. But most of us try to avoid friction—especially in the workplace. We tend to gravitate towards situations and people that look agreeable, rather than stand out with a possible alternate thought or view that could lead to friction, and thus, conflict. Yet disagreement over ideas “is where creativity shines,...