Embrace Conflict in Business Meetings

Usually, in business meetings, we seek a consensus before we make decisions. There's one major problem with this: We tend to suffer from a psychological phenomenon known as "group-think." Says Jonathan Hughes and Jeff Weiss from Harvard's Business Review: "The quest for harmony and common goals can actually obstruct teamwork. Managers get truly effective collaboration only when they realize that conflict is natural and necessary." That's why, sometimes, it's better to designate a devil's advocate to break up the harmony. That way, you can divulge what your people really think.

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