High Performance Teams

Here's why embracing healthy conflict within your team proves to be a necessary part of getting things done faster and better. adam smigielski/Getty Tweet Brainstorming sessions often begin with the assertion that there's no such thing as a bad idea.

Think you're good at collaboration? Software developers at Menlo Innovations work in pairs--passing the mouse back-and-forth to solve problems. menlopics/Flickr Richard Sheridan doesn't have a corner office. Or an office. Or even his own desk.

Here are 10 ideas for budget-friendly start-up outings that are a little more modern (and functional) than trust falls and weekends on the golf course. -will-/Flickr Tweet Trust falls and golf outings don't strike the right note for most young start-up teams today--especially if they're on a tight budget.

Photoconcepts/Frank and Helena/Getty Team dynamics are complicated, and only a charlatan would claim to be able to diagnose the underlying causes of a team's dysfunction instantaneously. One exception stands out, however. It's a cause of team dysfunction I've seen in practice so often that not only is it instantly recognizable, I've given it a name: The Time Warp.

Building effective teams is a common challenge for most businesses. How do you assemble the right mix of people and expertise to deliver the most efficient and effective outcome? Sometimes, the things business owners believe matter most aren't really priorities in building great teams, says Richard E.

I am about to climb Mount Everest. And as a management professor (Scott speaking here) this inevitably has led me to wonder how team dynamics will play out on the mountain - as my life may depend on it.

Screaming matches, barbed comments, nasty gossip, hurt feelings, toxic environments, shouty ALL CAPS emails, extended episodes of the silent treatment, or simple avoidance-these are some of the greatest hits of bad office conflict resolution. And sadly, they're about as well known to most of us as the tracks on a Beatles "Best Of" album.

Now I get it; I'm here as an agent provocateur. The setting of this insight was a company-wide conference at which I was the opening speaker. I had been very carefully briefed by the company's chairman who had read my books and was quite clear about what he wanted me to cover.

We all know that healthy conflicts are an essential part of any well-oiled management team's routine. But initiating conflict is never easy. No one wants to be the person who raises contentious points. Because when you're the one who speaks up, well then it's you who prolongs the meeting, or ruffles a teammate's feathers, or stands accused of negativity.

If there's one department in every company that's equal parts loved and hated but nevertheless always vital, it's IT. Don't get it twisted - the hate is more out of frustration that they won't let us download free music than anything else.

There's nothing worse than a bad meeting. You sit there grinding your teeth wondering why in the world you have to waste your time sitting through something that never should have happened in the first place. The fact that we've all been there, sometimes weekly or even daily, doesn't make it any less annoying.

How many times a day do you check your phone for alerts? How about just for work purposes? When do you do it - just during office time, or when you're out inhaling beers, too? If you happen to be the average Millennial, the answer is upwards of 34 times.

Success in a company usually comes from the top down, starting with a quality leader and moving on down the ranks. Think about Larry Page at Google. Through his company's ups and downs, Page is a fantastic leader, one with a vision, goals, and the drive to push those around him to achieve greatness.