Why Disagreements Are Needed When Working in a Team
When you collaborate, it’s nice when everyone on your team gets along, but there is a problem with aligning everything: there are no new ideas. This is also called groupthink . To avoid this, don’t be afraid to disagree.
As psychologist and business strategist Liane Davey writes in the Harvard Business Review, if everyone on your team agrees on everything, “working together is pointless.” Davey writes:
What should be a jumbled back and forth motion too often falls prey to our desire to maintain harmony and efficiency. Promises of collaboration for broader innovation and better risk mitigation may go unfulfilled due to cultural norms that say everyone should agree, support, and smile all the time. The regular version of collaboration is desperate for a little conflict.
In short, when you’re on a team, don’t be afraid to play devil’s advocate . This may lead to different solutions, highlight some current deficiencies, or simply encourage lateral thinking. For more details, navigate to Davey’s full post at the link below.
If your team agrees on everything, working together is pointless | HBR