Why your tech team disagrees and how to harness It

But here’s the hard truth: even with the same information, your team will disagree.

Why?

Because perspective isn’t just about facts—it’s about how we process them.

It may seem overly logical, but this accounts for over 80% of the internal issues within a team.

Last weekend I was watching on Netflix Challenger: The Final Flight.

This a great documentary that focuses on the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster, including the build-up to the flight and everything related to the disaster.

Engineers at NASA had the same data, but while some saw warning signs in the O-ring performance, others prioritized launch schedules.

The disaster wasn’t caused by a lack of information—it was caused by ignored dissent and misaligned perspectives.

So many lessons learned from all perspectives.

Now, imagine your own team:

• Engineer A insists on a high-performance database for long-term stability.

• Engineer B pushes for a NoSQL solution to move faster.

Both have solid arguments; both have the same numbers—yet they disagree.

This is the Certainty Trap, the disagreement stems from ignorance, rather than different interpretations of the same reality.

In a deeper definition, this is a cognitive bias that leads people to believe that if they have all the facts, everyone else should logically come to the same conclusion.

Does this sound familiar to you?

This assumption creates friction in teams, especially in tech and leadership, where decisions are often complex, and egos vary widely.

This often goes badly if you don’t know how to properly handle.

How does the “Certainty Trap” can affect your team?

1. Tech teams arguing over frameworks (e.g., “React vs. Vue” or “Monolith vs. Microservices”)

2. Product teams debating features (e.g., “Should we optimize for speed or scalability?”)

3. Leadership teams deciding on strategies (e.g., “Invest in AI now, or wait for maturity?”)

In each case, everyone has valid points, but disagreement isn’t ignorance—it’s just perspective.

Here are some practical tactics your team can use that genuinely improve the team’s dynamic.

Building an “A Team”: 6 Ways to Embrace Disagreement and Gain Benefits

1. Kill the “knowledge gap” assumption Instead of assuming “they just don’t get it,” ask: “What experiences shape their viewpoint?”. Host “Perspective Roundtables”, where engineers explain the rationale behind their choices.

2. Structure debates, not echo chambers Use Red Team/Blue Team exercises—split teams to argue opposing solutions. This forces them to understand counterarguments and exposes blind spots.

3. Psychological safety ≠ Comfort Create a culture where no idea is dismissed as “obvious” or “wrong.” Example: “Thanks, Alex, for pushing back on the API structure—let’s pressure-test that”.

4. Data + stories = better decisions Pair hard metrics with REAL user anecdotes from your own trenches. Example: “The numbers favor Kubernetes, but our Ops team shared horror stories of maintaining it at scale—let’s dig deeper.”

5. Retrospectives with a twist Conclude sprints with a review of why decisions were made, considering biases that influenced outcomes. Avoid being an “agile fan” who conducts ineffective retrospectives that waste time and damage credibility.

6. Leaders, model intellectual humility Say: “I was sure about this approach, but Maria’s insights on serverless changed my mind. Here’s why…” Vulnerability builds trust. For some egomaniacs can be hard at first but is achievable if you start to practice it.

The result Teams that lean into disagreement unlock faster innovation, lower attrition, and smarter risk management.

A lack of disagreement within a team, where members do not voice their opinions and accept decisions without question, can be detrimental to its success.

If your team never disagrees, you don't have a real team with passion.

Best solutions aren’t born from consensus—they’re forged through productive friction.

When your team is stuck, try to ask: “What perspective are we missing?”

Then, listen.

You’ll be glad you did.

Exceptional leaders understand that leadership is not about always being right, but rather about fostering curiosity and empowering their teams.

How do YOU handle team disagreements?

Share your anecdotes below!