Preventing Conflict Before It Starts

Conflict at work isn’t the enemy—avoiding it is.

In this episode of What’s the DEIL?, Shanté and Natalie tackle one of the most misunderstood dynamics in leadership and workplace culture: conflict. Not the explosive kind we all dread but the slow-simmering tension that starts with a side-eye in a Slack message or a disengaged team member and ends in resignation letters, HR investigations, or boardroom complaints.

This conversation challenges the notion that all conflict is inherently bad and instead reframes it as inevitable and manageable if identified and addressed early. The goal? Spot issues before they erupt and build a workplace where healthy disagreement drives performance, not dysfunction.

What You’ll Learn:

• Why conflict isn’t inherently negative and how judgment makes it worse
• What it really costs your organization when conflict is left unchecked (hint: it’s more than money)
• The early warning signs that tension is brewing under the surface
• Why disengagement is a red flag, not just a phase
• Self-awareness is the leadership skill that unlocks conflict prevention
• What toxic management styles actually do to workplace culture (with real examples)
• Practical tools for inclusive leaders to lead and lean into conflict before it’s too late
• The underrated power of community agreements like “assume good intent”

This episode also explores what happens when leaders aren’t equipped to manage feedback and how their blind spots create ripple effects across an entire team. If your people don’t feel safe speaking up, your culture is already in trouble, and you might be the last to know.

Related Topics:

• Psychological safety and its absence in the workplace
• Why “I’m just direct” isn’t a leadership strategy
• How to spot disengagement before it turns into attrition
• What inclusive leadership actually looks like in tense moments

Whether you’re an HR leader, executive, team manager, or just trying to navigate tough work dynamics, this episode will challenge you to stop seeing conflict as a fire to put out and instead as a signal to lead better.

Follow & Connect with us:

• Follow Natalie Norfus on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/natalienorfus/. 
• Follow Shante Gordon on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shantegordon/. 
• We’ve led hundreds of audits, assessments, and people strategy engagements, and we’d love to help your organization. Book a consultation with The Norfus Firm: https://thenorfusfirm.com/. 
• Follow What’s the DEIL on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whatsthedeil/. 
• Follow What’s the DEIL on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@whatsthedeil. 

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