Your Team Should Get Along Well — But Not Too Well

It’s good if the people on your team like one another, but too much harmony can dampen creativity and innovation. Of course, you don’t want team members to be at each other’s throats, but when everyone always gets along, complacency can set in. To keep this from happening, encourage productive conflict — the kind where people express disagreements, negotiate different viewpoints, and work under a certain amount of pressure. Encourage people to speak honestly, even when it feels uncomfortable. If the team needs a little push, assign one or two people the role of devil’s advocate to get opposing views on the table. You can also disrupt complacency by setting bold but achievable goals for your team. People tend to perform at their best when tasks are moderately difficult, so create some tension between the skills your team has and those required to accomplish a certain task. Projects should be feasible — but it’s OK if the team struggles with them a little, too.

Source: Adapted from “Too Much Team Harmony Can Kill Creativity,” by Darko Lovric and Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic