unSILOed with Greg LaBlanc 641. How to Become an Expert in Conflict with Amy Gallo
10 snips
Apr 16, 2026 
Amy Gallo, HBR contributing editor and author on workplace conflict, breaks down why disagreement fuels better ideas and stronger teams. She covers how ego and stress hijack conversations, when empathy or boundaries help, and practical moves for dealing with toxic, insecure, or dominant coworkers. Short, actionable, and surprising takes on making conflict productive rather than personal.
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Organizations Often Need More Constructive Conflict
- Many organizations lack enough constructive conflict and often treat disagreement as personal attack, which stunts idea generation and bonding.
- Amy Gallo says she’s usually hired because people aren’t voicing opinions, not because there's too much fighting.
Status Conflicts Drive Modern Workplace Tension
- Conflict falls into task, process, status, and relationship types, and status conflicts are now very common because work meets emotional needs.
- Gallo notes ego and identity drive many conflicts about who has power or credit.
Interrupt Your Fight Flight Response
- Recognize physiological stress responses and interrupt them with techniques like naming your emotion or time-travel perspective.
- Gallo uses sweaty palms as her cue and asks how she'll feel about the conflict in a year to lower intensity.
