All great relationships, the ones that last over time, require productive conflict in order to grow. This - Patrick Lencioni

What is most important is that team members get comfortable letting their colleagues see them for who they are. No pretension. No positioning.

The truth is, the only thing more painful than confronting an uncomfortable topic is pretending it doesn't exist. And I believe far more suffering is caused by failing to deal with an issue directly — and whispering about it in the hallways — than by putting it on the table and wrestling with it head on.

Members of teams that tend to avoid conflict must occasionally assume the role of a “miner of conflict” — someone who extracts buried disagreements within the team and sheds the light of day on them. They must have the courage and confidence to call out sensitive issues and force team members to work through them. This requires a degree of objectivity during meetings and a commitment to staying with the conflict until it is resolved.