Workforce
The Art and Science of Constructive Disagreement
One of the most pervasive and difficult challenges leaders face is effective management of conflict. Although constructive disagreement can be tremendously valuable to teams, anyone who has ever engaged in such work knows that disagreements around strongly held views are always difficult and frequently destructive. This is truer today than ever, as politics and ideology have permeated many workplace interactions.
This program will help participants grapple with their approach to conflict management using cutting edge research and pedagogical approaches. The sessions will blend small group exercises, self-assessments, and discussion to give participants insight into their own conflict management strengths and challenges; introduce them to research validated techniques for engaging with opposing views; and design organizational strategies for improving team communication around opposing views.
This program will consist of five 90-min sessions, delivered virtually by Julia Minson, Ph.D. a professor at the Harvard Kennedy School and author of the national bestseller How to Disagree Better. Based on rigorous research as well as practical insights, this course will offer students key tools for managing disagreement and conflict. At the conclusion of the course, students will have learned frameworks and concepts for thinking and communicating about conflict and have advanced their skills around disagreeing constructively both in their personal and professional relationships.
Each session will include an in-depth presentation of each topic, breakout sessions and/or activities.
Week 1: The challenges of conversations across disagreement
- Identify and overcome the barriers to dissent
- Explore strategies to amplify disagreement
- Recognize what drives negative attributions for disagreement
- Analyze biases in evaluating evidence and arguments
- Understand personality characteristics that impact conflict
Week 3: Conflict de-escalation through effective inquiry
- Evaluate and formulate goals in disagreement
- Demonstrate learning goals to your counterpart
- Inquire effectively
Week 4: Conversational receptiveness and the H.E.A.R framework
- Express receptiveness to opposing views
- Practice conversational receptiveness
Week 5: Personal narratives and trust building
- Bolster perceptions of authenticity by sharing your story
- build trust and credibility while making your case
Weekly sessions are online from 1:00 – 2:30 PM on Wednesdays.
September 16 – October 14, 2026
$2,550 per person.
Group discounts are available for 3+ attendees.
Program fee includes course materials and a certificate of completion.
A digital Certificate of Completion will be awarded to participants upon successful completion of the program. Successful completion of the program will be based on attendance of virtual sessions.
Constructive Disagreement Info Session
TBD
Julia Minson, PhD
Julia Minson is a Professor of Public Policy at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government and the founder of Disagreeing Better, LLC – a behavioral science consultancy and training firm.
She is a decision scientist with research interests in conflict management, negotiations, and judgment and decision making. Her main line of research addresses the “psychology of disagreement” – How do people engage with opinions, values, and judgments that conflict with their own?
Her work examines disagreements around hot-button, identity-relevant topics — conflicts around politics, values, and professional and health decision-making. She is interested in simple, scalable interventions to help people become more receptive to opposing views of others.
Julia teaches courses and workshops on negotiations, decision science, and conflict management. Her work has been published in top academic and business outlets as well as widely covered by popular media including the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, and the Washington Post. She is the author of How to Disagree Better, available through Penguin Random House in March 2026.