Sunday, July 09, 2023

Learn from Disagreement

All opinions expressed are solely mine. Don't blame the City of Melrose, School Department, Melrose High School or the Athletic Department. 

Disagree agreeably. 6-2 or 6-1? Serve hard or float? Experienced upperclassman or uber-talented freshman?

You won't always agree with a coach's decision on team selection, your role, or strategy but work to get "the best version of the truth." 

Do more of what works and less of what doesn't, while building skill to expand options. 

Work to understand "both sides of the trade" and how conversations take place in different industries. 

Metallica has been together for forty years. Their overaching principle on riffs or lyrics is, "do what's in the best interest of the group."

Groupthink produces inferior decisions. Former GM CEO Alfred Sloan knew this:


NASA leader Werner Von Braun's process included "Monday Notes" where engineers had a forum for discussing complex problems. 

"Every week, as von Braun oversaw the development of the Saturn V moon rocket, he got a set of short reports from the engineers and administrators under him.

He would read them, write in the margins, sign a "B" and the date, then send them back. They came to be known as the "Monday notes," Wright said, and have been hailed as a model of effective communication and management for big projects like Apollo."

The US State Department has its 'Dissent Channel' allowing diplomats worldwide to comment on policy. Even when we share core values and principles, we may disagree on policy. It also allows for discussion and reporting of activities not reflecting those values.

The creative process benefits from collaborative conflict. 


What are the enduring lessons? 
  • Conflicts occur across a variety of domains/disciplines.
  • Decisions benefit from candid, open discussions.
  • Polarization compromises those discussion.
  • Respect colleagues regardless of agreement.
  • When easy consensus arises, think again. 
Lagniappe. 

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