Be Right, A Lot
What do you do when someone disagrees with you? When their opinions or suggestions don't align with your interests? Do you open your mind with intellectual honesty, or do you try to avoid, bypass, or wear them down
Challenging perspectives are often overlooked. And that makes a lot of sense. It’s a very human reaction to resist being challenged. We all want to hear others' opinions that align with our interests. Our dear friend, the confirmation bias.
Managers want to hear that we can do more with less. Product managers want to get all their requests prioritized. Tech leads want to achieve operational excellence with minimal investment. But seriously, how realistic are these expectations? Could it be a strategy to get the most out of our teams? Maybe, but unlikely efficient.
We all can get out of touch very easily and stay away from being challenged. After all, we have enough problems to solve without inviting more. This leads us to surround ourselves with people who agree with us, who say yes without question, regardless of whether they are intellectually honest or not.
If you truly want to be right, embrace those who challenge your ideas. Open your mind to discomfort because the reward of being right is worth it, and because someone who is willing to challenge you deserves your respect.
