Thursday, August 9, 2012

Disagreement is Crucial...but how?

"I'm sorry, but I have to disagree!" Looking at the faces of those in the meeting, the negative anticipation was easy to see.  The opposing viewpoint was given, followed by a long silence.

"I'm so glad you brought that up--it is critical that we consider that point before we move forward," the group leader responded.  "What else should we consider?"

The feeling in the room immediately lightened, and a robust--and friendly--debate continued.  In the end, a course of action was determined, and the meeting participants left with handshakes and smiles all around.

How could this be?  It turns out that mutually respectful disagreements actually strengthen our connections with others. In fact, when group members are always in agreement, the group is both less productive and less trusting than if there is a climate that encourages people to share different points of view.

Try an experiment--think of a situation where you can encourage others to share diverse viewpoints.  How does encouraging this kind of discussion affect the feeling in the group?

5 comments:

  1. I am reminded of The Harbinger Institute coursework models. I love those books! I also love this concept of being completely understanding and seeing all the sides of life and learning . Thanks for sharing Ray!

    Brad

    ReplyDelete
  2. I do not evеn know how I ended up here, but Ӏ thought this poѕt was good.
    I do not know whο you are but definitely you аre going to a famоuѕ blogger if you aгen't already ;) Cheers!
    Here is my weblog ... globalfriendsnet.com

    ReplyDelete
  3. An impressive share! I have just forwarded this onto a co-worker who had been doing a little homework on this.
    And he actually ordered me lunch because I stumbled upon it
    for him... lol. So allow me to reword this.... Thank YOU for the
    meal!! But yeah, thanks for spending time to talk about this
    issue here on your web site.

    Feel free to visit my page :: bathroom updates

    ReplyDelete
  4. Thank you for sharing your thoughts. I truly аpρrecіаte your
    effoгts and I am waiting fоr youг further
    write ups thank you onсe аgain.

    my webѕite sjbb.org

    ReplyDelete
  5. Thе mοment they grow to bе аѕsοciаteѕ,
    they will count on familiarіtу, but not аlѕo vеrу muсh until eѵentually then.
    This have fοгeνeг been a most desiгеd actіvity in
    my hοmе. "In modern society, I signify 50 % the time a wide range of visitors have never been alone, really on your own, without some sort of distraction.

    Look at my web page; www.humsurfer.com

    ReplyDelete