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How to Turn Disagreement Into a Team Strength - Ambition & Balance
Disagreement is healthy
It is essential for success. It’s the hallmark of an engaged and involved team member. And it opens the way for testing and improving new ideas.
It should also be treated as a chance to built trust and show mutual understanding.
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The art of disagreement
Mastering the art of considerate disagreement means expressing your beliefs without shutting down the discussion or angering the other side.
For this to happen, you have to listen more, be willing to change your perspective on disagreement and learn to better your arguments.
Ed Catmull
Ray Dalio
Charlie Munger
Escape your own bias
Take the time to gather facts that support the opposite point of view.
Ask yourself, “What if I’m wrong?”. This will strengthen your argument by anticipating questions, or you’re going to learn something new and take a more nuanced position.
Listening to the other side
We tend to focus on what we're going to say next in conversation and we fail to understand the counterargument and really listen to the other party.
Demonstrate that you're listening by reframing their position in your words and then ask for confirmation that you have it right.
Present your ideas inclusively
Disagreements can create an “us versus them” mentality with clear winners and losers.
A better approach is to ditch the entire notion of winners and losers. Instead, you’re both on the same team working toward a better solution.
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Be realistic about the risks
Our natural bias is to start by imagining all the things that will go horribly wrong if we disagree with someone more powerful. Yes, your counterpart might be a little upset at first, but most like...
Decide whether to wait
You may decide to hold off voicing your opinion if you want to gather your army first. People can contribute experience or information to your thinking — all the things that would make the disagreement stronger or more valid.
Also, delay the conversation if you’re in a meeting or other public space. Discussing the issue in private will make the powerful person feel less threatened.
Identify a shared goal
Before you share your thoughts, think about what the powerful person cares about. You’re more likely to be heard if you can connect your disagreement to a “higher purpose.”
State it overtly then, contextualizing your statements so that you’re seen not as a disagreeable underling but as a colleague who’s trying to advance a shared goal.
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Seek to understand
People tend to disagree when they don't understand each other. That does not mean you have to agree, just that you're open to hearing them out.
When you come to an understanding t...
Look beyond your own triggers
Whatever may have happened in your past, you have to find a way to get past your triggers and see that you're in a new situation with a person who doesn't mean you harm. What's triggered is usually fear and awareness of one's limitations.
Look for similarities, not differences
Look for common ground. When you concentrate on differences the space grows wider, but when you seek out what you have in common it helps bridge the gap.
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Listen to Learn, Not to Be Polite
Listen from a place of curiosity, not generosity. True dialogue does not happen when we pretend to listen, and it certainly cannot happen if we are not listening at all.
If you ev...
Quiet Your Agenda
Really listen to what someone else is trying to say.
We need information that is disconfirming, not confirming.
Ask More Questions
Ask more questions than you give answers.
When you ask questions, you create a safe space for other people to give you an unvarnished truth.
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