The Value of Disruptive Discourse: Why NATA Must Embrace Constructive Conflict for Growth

I love athletic training. In fact, I’ve been a member of the National Athletic Trainers’ Association for more than 30 years. For many of those years I have served the profession in various capacities. It is safe to say that I am a lifer. Athletic training and the NATA are simply part of my life. It is no good to separate my professional life from my personal life because they bleed into each other so much. I also have been fortunate enough – because of my experience as an athletic trainer – to gain a significant audience in the corporate performance world and serve as a leadership coach and consultant to several multinational and Fortune 500 companies. My work in this space has taught me the unequivocal necessity for embracing and even facilitating constructive conflict. Companies and organizations that grow and overcome adversity and consistently have meaningful market share are never afraid to address an elephant in the room or even intentionally seek out disruptive discourse, the type that challenges the status quo and the way they’ve always done things. The best organizations in the world seek to change through engaging the tough and uncomfortable questions with their best assets, their members.

In the evolving landscape of professional organizations, particularly within the NATA, maintaining membership engagement and driving organizational innovation are critical. Yet, many associations, in an effort to preserve stability, often shy away from disruptive discourse. This is a costly mistake. Disruptive discourse, when managed correctly, is not a threat to harmony but a catalyst for growth and necessary change.

Professional organizations, including those in athletic training, must recognize that growth requires uncomfortable but necessary conversations that challenge the status quo. Constructive conflict and disruptive ideas pave the way for innovation, improved practices, and stronger member engagement. I hope to explore why embracing disruptive discourse is crucial for the continued success of athletic training organizations and offers insights on how to harness it effectively.

Understanding Disruptive Discourse

Disruptive discourse refers to the kind of conversation that challenges established norms, questions long-held assumptions, and introduces new, sometimes uncomfortable, perspectives. Many organizations mistakenly view conflict or even constructive criticism as negative forces that fractures relationships and destabilizes operations. That’s false! Research and organizational case studies show that constructive conflict—managed in a healthy and productive way—can lead to breakthroughs in innovation and member engagement. In fact, the very essence of professional progress is tied to how well an organization handles disruption and member push back.

As athletic training organizations confront declining membership and increasing competition for attention, disruptive conversations can play a critical role in revitalizing the community. It is through challenging assumptions and introducing new ideas that organizations can avoid stagnation and meet the changing needs of their members.

Common Misconceptions: Conflict Equals Dysfunction

One of the most pervasive myths about disruptive discourse is that conflict signals dysfunction. This belief can lead organizations to suppress dissenting opinions and avoid tough conversations in the name of unity. However, avoiding these conversations leads to greater issues down the road, as underlying concerns are left unaddressed. Instead of viewing conflict as inherently harmful, athletic training organizations should reframe it as an opportunity for growth.

The Role of Conflict in Innovation: Disruptive discourse fuels innovation by forcing organizations to confront outdated practices and adopt more efficient, forward-thinking strategies. Without the introduction of challenging perspectives, organizations risk becoming complacent. In a profession like athletic training—where medical advancements and new practices are constantly emerging— structural and organizational complacency can quickly render an organization irrelevant or obsolete. Encouraging members to voice concerns in public forums, offer new ideas, and engage in difficult conversations is critical to long-term success.

Encouraging Open Dialogue in Meetings and Forums

Meetings, both in-person and virtual, are often where these conversations should begin. However, many members avoid raising new ideas or challenging leadership decisions for fear of conflict or isolation. Athletic training organizations can address this by creating safe spaces for open dialogue where diverse viewpoints are respected, and constructive disagreement is seen as a positive force.

Psychological Safety and Disruptive Conversations: Psychological safety—where individuals feel comfortable speaking their mind without fear of negative consequences—is essential for fostering disruptive discourse. Athletic training organizations must ensure that all members, from new professionals to long-standing leaders, feel that their voices matter and will be heard without judgment or retaliation.

The Necessity of Conflict for Organizational Growth

Athletic training is a dynamic field that demands constant adaptation to new evidence, techniques, and regulations. Avoiding conflict stifles the ability of an organization to pivot in response to these changes. On the other hand, embracing healthy conflict allows associations, like the NATA, to remain agile, responsive, and proactive in serving the changing needs of their members and stakeholders.

Equating Stability with Growth is a Fallacy: Another common limiting belief is that organizations should prioritize stability over disruption. The idea that conflict disrupts stability is rooted in fear—fear that challenging conversations will alienate stakeholders or cause membership losses. But true growth often involves periods of instability and liminality, during which organizations rethink processes, policies, and strategies. Disruption, managed thoughtfully, can strengthen rather than divide a community.

Learning from Past Disruptions

Organizations that embrace disruptive discourse can look to history for examples of how conflict has fueled positive change. Many of the greatest innovations in the athletic training field—from advancements in rehabilitation techniques to shifts in sports safety protocols—emerged from passionate debates and disagreements.

For athletic training organizations, looking back at past disruptions can provide valuable lessons for managing current challenges. Leaders should be reminded that today’s controversial ideas may become tomorrow’s best practices. Leadership must also recognize that dissent is not a sign of disrespect but rather a sign of investment. When members care enough to challenge the organization, they are showing their commitment to its future success – NOT tearing it down.

Disruption as a Tool for Member Engagement

Encouraging disruptive discourse is not only a way to foster innovation; it is also a powerful tool for member engagement. Athletic training organizations struggling with declining membership should recognize that younger professionals, in particular, are drawn to organizations that welcome new ideas and fresh perspectives. These professionals are eager to join conversations that are relevant, meaningful, and forward-thinking, but often their ideas are outside established tradition or existing policies.

Avoiding difficult conversations may keep the peace temporarily, but it will also drive away members who seek active involvement in shaping the future of their profession. By creating a culture that encourages healthy disagreement, organizations can attract and retain the kind of passionate, engaged members they need to thrive in the long term.

A Path Forward: Fostering Constructive Disruption

If athletic training organizations are to thrive in today’s rapidly evolving professional landscape, they must adopt a deliberate approach to fostering constructive disruption. Here are several strategies to implement:

1. Create Safe Spaces for Discourse: Establish forums, roundtable discussions, and open meetings where members are encouraged to share disruptive ideas as uncomfortable questions without fear of repercussions. Ensure that leadership demonstrates a commitment to listening to all voices.
2. Facilitate Productive Conflict: Train leadership and facilitators to manage conflict constructively. This includes providing tools for healthy debate, ensuring that discussions remain respectful, and guiding conversations toward actionable solutions.
3. Encourage Diverse Perspectives: Actively seek out opinions from members with different levels of experience and backgrounds. Diversity of thought - cognitive diversity - is a key ingredient in innovation.
4. Reward Disruptive Thinking: Recognize and reward members who introduce innovative or disruptive ideas, especially those that challenge the status quo in ways that lead to meaningful improvement or draw awareness to hard questions.
5. Reflect on Past Disruptions: Regularly assess the outcomes of past conflicts and disruptions to learn what worked, what didn’t, and how the organization can improve its approach to disruptive discourse.

Conclusion

In the athletic training profession, change is constant and unavoidable. If the NATA and other AT organizations refuse to engage in disruptive discourse they will find themselves ill-prepared to meet the demands of an evolving landscape. It is only by embracing conflict, fostering open dialogue, and encouraging disruptive ideas that athletic training organizations can continue to grow and remain relevant.

Disruptive discourse is not something to fear; it is a powerful tool for driving progress. By welcoming constructive conflict, athletic training organizations can create a culture that thrives on innovation, engages its members, and ensures a prosperous future.

Matthew Kutz, Ph.D., ATC, CSCS, CES, BCC, FNAP is among other things a Clinical Professor in the Doctor of Athletic Training Program at Florida International University.