How to Fix Workplace Conflict in 45 Minutes (Without Forced Fake Friendships)

The Cost of Workplace Tension

Workplace conflict isn’t just frustrating—it’s expensive. Miscommunication, disengagement, and toxicity cost businesses billions in lost productivity every year.

But here’s the real problem: It’s not the conflict itself. It’s how we handle it.

I once worked with a company where two senior executives couldn’t stand each other. Their tension poisoned the culture, divided their teams, and created an “us vs. them” dynamic that slowed collaboration and hurt results.

Their teams mirrored their dysfunction. Productivity suffered. Revenue took a hit.

Their issue wasn’t a lack of professionalism or skill. It was a lack of connection.

The Solution: A Science-Backed Conversation

Most workplace relationships don’t improve because our daily conversations stay shallow and transactional:
➡ Did you get my email?
➡ Where’s the report?
➡ What’s the deadline?

What’s missing? Trust. Vulnerability. Connection.

At an offsite retreat, I paired these two executives together and led them through a structured conversation exercise based on Dr. Arthur Aron’s 36 Questions That Lead to Love—a method designed to help people connect through intentional, meaningful dialogue.

In just 45 minutes, everything changed.

One of the executives later said, "I learned more about my colleague in the last 45 minutes than I had in the previous four years. We realized we’re facing similar challenges. We actually need each other."

Why This Works (And How to Apply It to Your Team)

Toxic work relationships don’t heal on their own. They require intentionality and structured conversation that goes deeper than surface-level work talk.

That’s exactly what I help organizations do—facilitate the kind of dialogue that builds trust, strengthens culture, and transforms teams.

If workplace tension is slowing your company down, let’s fix it.