When working with French colleagues, understand that they treat conflict as a normal feature of human relationships rather than as failure or dysfunction. Genuine differences exist among people, and these differences naturally produce disagreements. The appropriate response is not to suppress or deny conflict but to engage it, recognizing that properly conducted disagreement can improve outcomes, advance understanding, and even strengthen relationships. French colleagues may seem surprisingly willing to disagree openly, to challenge positions, and to engage in heated discussion.
This reflects their view that productive conflict yields better results than artificial harmony. What matters is not eliminating disagreement but conducting it well—within appropriate bounds, with rational argument, toward genuine resolution. If you treat every conflict as crisis or failure, you may miss opportunities to engage productively with French counterparts who see disagreement as normal working process.
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