Inviting Disagreement

Making Room for Disagreement

There has never been a better time for disagreement—and that’s not necessarily a bad thing. I led a workshop recently for about twenty professionals from different organizations. It was a great session on business development: how to maximize opportunities when networking, leading BD conversations, preparing for interviews, or collaborating with proposal teams. The group seemed engaged, responsive, and with me every step of the way.

Afterward, feedback came in—almost entirely positive. But one person wrote anonymously: “I disagreed with what Pete had to say.” And I found myself thinking, what a missed opportunity—not just for me, or for that participant, but for the whole room.

The Missed Conversation

That disagreement could have opened a richer, more dynamic exchange. The whole group could have benefited from hearing another perspective. I typically try to invite differing viewpoints during a session—asking questions like, “What do you think?” or “Does anyone see it differently?”—but I may not have done that enough this time.

When someone disagrees and speaks up, it doesn’t have to become an argument. It can become a conversation. It’s like a courtroom—two lawyers presenting different perspectives on the same set of facts, giving the jury (in this case, the room) a chance to think critically and decide what resonates. That’s where learning deepens.

Inviting Healthy Debate

At SagePresence, we don’t believe we hold the only right answers. What we offer are perspectives and tools that have proven useful for many teams. The real value comes when people test those ideas—compare them, challenge them, and make them their own.

So if there’s a lesson for me in that workshop, it’s this: invite disagreement more actively. Make room for it. Encourage it. Not to win a debate, but to give everyone the chance to participate in a more honest, robust conversation.

The Takeaway

I want to invite you to do the same. The next time you’re leading a meeting, workshop, or conversation—explicitly make space for differing opinions. Ask others to share their perspectives, even if they don’t align with yours. That’s where engagement deepens, where trust grows, and where real collaboration happens.