New Delhi, March 19 -- If there were an upskilling programme in the 'Art of Confrontation,' India Inc would benefit more from it than from many of the dime-a-dozen workshops that are held to raise work productivity. A knack for judicious confrontation is rare, as it takes tact to voice dissent without being aggressive in most corporate cultures. One could be labelled as a worthy opponent or team player without knowing which.

Effective confrontation at work is an acquired skill, one seen in some startups that make space to openly reject ideas and question the constraints of hierarchy for better outcomes.

Workplaces where debates are not fights encourage a 'multi-hat' look at strategic plans, to borrow a term from Edward de Bono's Six Thi...