Want to reduce passive-aggressive behavior on your team?

Orchestrate healthy conflict.

Here are 5 simple ideas:

1. Model a culture of kind honesty. Be willing to hear what you don't want to hear and say what's not easy to say.

2. Lead a team discussion on setting communication ground rules. How do we want to speak to each other here? And what's unacceptable?

3. Turn those communication ground rules into standard behaviors. Talk about the rules often and hold yourself and others accountable.

4. Separate performance from personality. Draw a clear line between discussing behavior and making personal attacks.

5. Reward people who respectfully disagree. Don't punish them.

Remember:

Unexpressed conflict leads to resentment and passive-aggressive behavior.

Orchestrate healthy conflict so you don't have to deal with the unhealthy kind.