I'm on the chapter about people... and how people within the company are driving the ship. They're talking about healthy debate and how important it is to surround yourself in different perspectives, to identify all variables. There is one part of the book where they're talking about the difference between a healthy, strategical debate vs an ego-raging argument and it says, "more like a heated scientific debate, with people engaged in a search for the best answers." To which, I mentally gave a nod to my Rocket-Scientist best friend, Nicole.
"Thanks Nicole, for teaching me that scientific thought process"
How many times in college did we all stay up late into the night, debating everything from shoes, to religion, to guys? We always respected each others' points of view. And we all had completely opposite points of view. Then I gave a mental nod to the rest of the 3rd Floor gang.
"Thanks Sarah, for teaching me the sensitive side of the thought process"
"Thanks Dave, for keeping us grounded in a very Jersey-real-life perspective."
"Thanks Alan, for always reaching for the stars and making anything possible"
"Thanks Erin, for reminding us that people still value traditional ways of thinking"It was this mish-mosh of perspectives, coming from a scientist, ballerina, regular-joe, and rich-kid that kept my mind open and continually questioning my own point of view. To this day, I always question, "Is this the best option? How will others view this move?"
In fact, I started a very heated discussion once at work, which will probably stay with me as long as I'm with the company. We had the brand manager for a particular line of wallpaper come from the UK to our US offices. The US team had developed a very specific strategy and the new BM was coming to get briefed on the American way of life as well as our new strategy. After we took him around to stores, we had a meeting to discuss the new strategy.
Prior to the meeting, we knew that this new manager was keyed into the UK strategy, and our strategy would be a tough sell. My supervisor explained the strategy to the manager, and the manager waited patiently. He then asked some targeted, thoughtful questions. My supervisor answered something like "well, that's how we're doing it." It didn't seem like enough of an answer for me. I fully agreed with our strategy, but from learning from my college friends to question everything, I began to play devil's advocate. We'd answered all of the questions I was asking prior to the arrival of this new manager, when we were first developing the strategy. I thought it was important for this new manager to understand how we arrived at this strategy rather than asking him to blindly accept it "because we said so". I figured that since we'd already answered all of this questions, it would be simple to do a Q&A session. If there had been some key point that the US team had missed, it gave the opportunity for the new manager, with a fresh perspective, to find it. Better a member of our team find it now, then a competitor exploit it later.
It seems I was wrong. As I repeated the questions we'd already answered weeks, maybe even months prior, I could see my supervisor's anger mounting. He yelled back, got very defensive, and shot me angry looks. What I thought would be a simple back-and-forth had turned into a fight. I was thrown on "the UK side", a traitor. At one point, he even said to me, "I don't know what's wrong with you, we already agreed to this". I tried to plead my case, but it was pointless. I was a traitor, jumping ship to suck up to the head office.
Later, after we all agreed, again, that our strategy worked, I tried to explain to the VP that I wasn't jumping ship. He said, "Don't worry about it. I knew what you were doing. I wouldn't have let the debate go on if I thought it wasn't right. We're smart to question ourselves constantly. We didn't bring that manager across the Atlantic to preach to him; we brought him here to let him do his job."
Though that made me feel better, since then, I've been questioning my judgement. Should I have just made a presentation to that manager and expected it to be held as Gospel truth? In my experience people accept things like that better when they accept it on their own terms. I wondered that if it was different in business? Was I just too green to understand this stuff?
According to this book, the heated debate was right on the money. Thanks Jim Collins and your research for letting me know that my instincts are good, and that my determination will get me far.
According to this book, it's perspective like mine that takes companies from Good to Great.
In fact, I started a very heated discussion once at work, which will probably stay with me as long as I'm with the company. We had the brand manager for a particular line of wallpaper come from the UK to our US offices. The US team had developed a very specific strategy and the new BM was coming to get briefed on the American way of life as well as our new strategy. After we took him around to stores, we had a meeting to discuss the new strategy.
Prior to the meeting, we knew that this new manager was keyed into the UK strategy, and our strategy would be a tough sell. My supervisor explained the strategy to the manager, and the manager waited patiently. He then asked some targeted, thoughtful questions. My supervisor answered something like "well, that's how we're doing it." It didn't seem like enough of an answer for me. I fully agreed with our strategy, but from learning from my college friends to question everything, I began to play devil's advocate. We'd answered all of the questions I was asking prior to the arrival of this new manager, when we were first developing the strategy. I thought it was important for this new manager to understand how we arrived at this strategy rather than asking him to blindly accept it "because we said so". I figured that since we'd already answered all of this questions, it would be simple to do a Q&A session. If there had been some key point that the US team had missed, it gave the opportunity for the new manager, with a fresh perspective, to find it. Better a member of our team find it now, then a competitor exploit it later.
It seems I was wrong. As I repeated the questions we'd already answered weeks, maybe even months prior, I could see my supervisor's anger mounting. He yelled back, got very defensive, and shot me angry looks. What I thought would be a simple back-and-forth had turned into a fight. I was thrown on "the UK side", a traitor. At one point, he even said to me, "I don't know what's wrong with you, we already agreed to this". I tried to plead my case, but it was pointless. I was a traitor, jumping ship to suck up to the head office.
Later, after we all agreed, again, that our strategy worked, I tried to explain to the VP that I wasn't jumping ship. He said, "Don't worry about it. I knew what you were doing. I wouldn't have let the debate go on if I thought it wasn't right. We're smart to question ourselves constantly. We didn't bring that manager across the Atlantic to preach to him; we brought him here to let him do his job."
Though that made me feel better, since then, I've been questioning my judgement. Should I have just made a presentation to that manager and expected it to be held as Gospel truth? In my experience people accept things like that better when they accept it on their own terms. I wondered that if it was different in business? Was I just too green to understand this stuff?
According to this book, the heated debate was right on the money. Thanks Jim Collins and your research for letting me know that my instincts are good, and that my determination will get me far.
According to this book, it's perspective like mine that takes companies from Good to Great.
Aww I'm so flattered!
ReplyDeleteAnd girl, you are an excellent skeptic here. A thoughtful person will always challenge his or her own beliefs, and a successful company will always question its own strategies in an effort to maximize their benefits! It is easier said than done to separate one's own pride and self-confidence from the situation objectively, but its necessary.
I like how you used a real picture of Dave. Would this have sufficed? http://youaintnopicasso.com/images/rockyhorror.jpg