Quick consensus can breed a false sense of security. Embrace friction--and honesty.

Abba Eban, the former Israeli foreign minister, once said, "consensus means that everyone agrees to say collectively what no one believes individually."

I don't know if there's more truth or sadness in that remark. What I do know is that if entrepreneurs want to survive this recession (and, with any luck, emerge stronger on other side), what they really need right now is honesty. Heaps of it. And more often than not, honesty starts with plenty of healthy--though likely uncomfortable--disagreement.

I know this because I've done a lot of work in this area. In the late 1990s, Jim Casella, then-chief operating officer of IDG, asked me to develop a training program to encourage respectful exchange of ideas within that publishing giant's various units.

The U.S. Treasury Department later asked me to do the same thing. I spent over three years devoted to the study of how to create an atmosphere conducive to airing healthy conflict.

Trust me: Embracing that friction is essential to spurring creativity and boosting morale.

A big reason is that employees don't have their eyes on the same prize that entrepreneurs do. While you may want to change the world, your employees may just be looking for economic security. So how to get them to stick their necks out and disagree without sweating their job-security?

One charismatic entrepreneur I know was fond of telling his 130 employees that "I don't mind going out on a limb, as long as I know that you guys are climbing up the tree behind me." But he knew cuddly catchphrases weren't enough--he had to demonstrate his commitment to real communication, day in and day out.

At meetings, for example, this guy would write his thoughts on a white board and go around the table insisting that he be critiqued without mercy. He also walked around the office picking fights on certain issues. I once heard him address a marketing exec in the following way: "I told you I wanted our Web site to have more thought content written by our staff. To date, you haven't solicited a single paper. You're free to disagree with me--encouraged to do so--but you'll catch hell if you waste my time."

Sounds harsh--until you consider the outcome. The marketing exec, it turned out, had determined that those Web posts were, indeed, the real waste of time. The conflict eventually prompted the entrepreneur to send an all-hands e-mail: "Jenny set me straight today. My call for staff-generated content on our Web page was cost ineffective. Good for her. [Better yet, she came up with] an alternative means of sprucing-up our site that you'll all learn about before next Monday."

Better ideas aren't the only benefit to embracing honesty. Healthy conflict resolution also bolsters morale. Think about it: If no one is ever told they're wrong, how can they ever truly take satisfaction in being right? The only way evaluators, advisers and even co-workers have any credibility is by offering the occasional critique. And that means being able to have an honest conversation about what works and what doesn't. No tears.

There will always be "yes men"--some merely feckless, others full-blown snakes in the grass. Don't hire them, don't cultivate them and certainly don't take your cues from them. Instead, invite conflict--the kind that creates and motivates. Above all, thank those with the courage to tell you the truth. Your company's survival depends on it.