It is normal to disagree professionally

Stay focused. As a professional, you should never allow personal disagreements to interfere with you work. Photo by Rachel Mabala.

What you need to know:

Act rational. It is not criminal to disagree but how you handle yourself is what matters. Make sure you do not take things personal.

Society has all sorts of people, therefore, be sure there will always be that one person you will never agree with either by choice or by design.
How do you handle yourself around such a person, especially if you closely relate with them?
Let’s say, for instance, that person is your boss at work. How do you work together without clashing?
Andrew Ssenyonjo, author of You are not just an employee, says ascertaining why you can’t agree must be priority, because it helps you to come up with tangible solutions and meet required deliverables.
According to Ssenyonjo, who is also the chief executive officer of Ignite Potential: “If you need the boss more than he or she needs you, you ought to find ways to compromise.”
Some of you have been there. The boss introduces a strategy you think it will not work.
Do you reject it outright or you choose to play along for the sake of harmony?
Mark Samanya Bwiire, the Act Now chief executive officer, argues that you don’t need to get into a confrontation with your boss instead, “silence them by ensuring that you meet or exceed you targets”.
“Amid the disagreements, ensure that you meet the company’s and personal targets but also ensure that you clearly know your role and speak out in an open forum if you feel things don’t make sense,” he says.
Incidentally, Bwiire says bosses who are micromanagers are more likely to disagree with majority of their colleagues and in most cases choose to work with cliques that snoop around to see who is not toeing the boss’ line.
“They never allow you the freedom to do your job. They always want you to do it according to their definition even when it is outside the company aspirations,” Bwiire says.
In such circumstance, he advises that although, it is tempting to react in a harsh manner, it is better to keep your cool and allow the boss to rule or you might not like the repercussions of continued disagreement.
Moses Misuk, a communication for development officer at the United Nations Children’s Fund believes that the best way to handle disagreements with your boss is to follow the company policies. These will in most cases outline targets for every worker and state channels through which disagreements are handled and resolved.
“It is entirely dependent on you to do your part since your boss has powers over you that you don’t have,” he says.
For Ivan Naijuka, a public relations assistant at Uganda Christian University, it is absolutely normal to disagree but the ultimate goal is hitting company targets and values.
“As you disagree, remember you are working for the company not for an individual. Why should you be pulling ropes yet you can discuss,” he says.
Undeniably, thriving in a workplace as an employee or boss requires you to forge positive relationships, therefore work towards building a team.

Advice
Challenges. Nothing should stop you from working together even when you have disagreed. Disagreements at the workplace are normal and should be handled professionally.