BOSTON  - As teamwork gets increasingly complex, teams will only find it harder to reach a collective understanding about how to value and use their members' expertise, says Harvard Business Review.

 

The Management Tip of the Day offers quick, practical management tips and ideas from Harvard Business Review and HBR.org. Any opinions expressed are not endorsed by Reuters.

 

"Team members don't need to see eye-to-eye on every issue. But unhealthy conflict can arise when teams misunderstand each others' skills - for example, when a team member is overlooked for a role he thinks he is most qualified to do.

 

Here are three ways to prevent this sort of disagreement:

 

1. Be aware of perceptions. Know that people will always hold varying opinions of each other's expertise. Being sensitive to this may help you avoid conflict.

 

2. Communicate your rationale: When assigning a task or asking someone's advice, be explicit about why: 'I'm asking for your input because of your knowledge of X.' Explaining your thinking may keep people from feeling slighted.

 

3. Encourage people to speak up: Tell people to ask questions when someone else gets an assignment they thought they were better suited for." - Reuters

 

- This management tip was adapted from "Manage Your Team's "Dissensus" by Heidi K. Gardner.