Argue Your Way To Business Success
"Jack" (not his real name) is a vice president of a publicly traded company. Recently, Jack's stress and anxiety levels have been high enough to impact both his working and his personal lives. (I'm using an alias because he's concerned about his story becoming public ? for good reason!)
What, exactly is Jack stressed out about? It's not just another case of burnout and he's not worried about losing his job. Rather, Jack is convinced that his company is adopting the wrong strategy. And he's not alone; some other senior managers feel the same way. As a result, these people are lacking motivation and drive. One was heard to say he hasn't enjoyed his work for months.
So, why aren't these managers speaking up and arguing their position? The answer is that his company's culture discourages argument as destructive to team spirit, values and conformity. Because this culture equates differences of opinion with disloyalty, behavior has mutated into a form of "go along to get along." Significantly, the CEO establishes the culture.
Jack loves his company. He's worked there for many years and truly wants to see it succeed. But the "Stepford Executives" mentality is really becoming an impediment to success. The CEO is convinced he's moving his company forward because his vice presidents all seem to be right behind him. But the truth is he's shielded himself from knowing that the vice presidents think the new strategy could be taking the company right over the cliff.
For the Sake of an Argument In this all-too-frequent scenario, all of the players let themselves and each other down. The CEO has been let down by his direct reports because they aren't speaking up. Consequently, shareholder value is destroyed and the CEO's career will be ruined. The "go-along-to-get-along" vice presidents are doing themselves a disservice, because their careers will be damaged when the strategy fails. No one wins here.
And it's a shame because a good old-fashioned argument could have turned the situation around. Argument is not a dirty word, and arguing doesn't have to be either caustic or destructive. As a matter of fact, the Oxford English Dictionary defines argue as "1) To put forth reasons for or against; debate 2) To attempt to prove by reasoning." There's nothing inherently negative in that definition.
The Argument for Argument I base my argument that businesses need to learn how to properly argue before they can succeed on two points.
First, people tend not to see things as they really are. We see things as we really are. The things we do, in combination with our experiences, biases and opinions all shape our perceptions of a given situation. That's why we need several points of view argued by different people in order to see the full picture. Besides, none of us has all the answers. The upshot of a well-managed argument is that the solutions, strategies and plans drawn up by the management team will be better thought out and more rigorously scrubbed in search of the best alternatives.
Second, we need to learn how to argue because improper argument and the lack of argument can be destructive to morale and significantly increase worksite politics. Unlike Jack's company, some corporate cultures breed open conflicts where nonstop arguments inevitably turn personal, bitter and sarcastic. In this type of environment, the interests of shareholders are totally lost in the melee and winning an argument becomes an end in itself instead of the means to an end.
The Six Keys to Proper Argument So how should arguments properly be conducted within companies? There are six keys to arguing properly, beginning with the need to build trust. Trust can be built when team members share a common goal, such as increasing shareholder value.
So, having a common goal or objective is the second key. When each member is working to the same goal, legitimate differences of opinion aren't misinterpreted and healthy exchanges don't turn bitter. Depersonalization (evaluating a position without regard to the characteristics of the person who advances it), therefore, is the third key.
The fourth key is to make arguing an ongoing process. Practice makes perfect. Experience at arguing creates an attitude that says, "let's debate this so we can get to a good solution that all we can get behind."
The fifth key is to conduct post mortems on the results of your arguments. This is how you will determine if they lead to good solutions and if not, why not. When a crisis occurs, this helps companies focus on working the problem rather than assigning blame. People should be reassured that identifying the cause of the problem is still important, but must take a backseat to solving the problem. Also, post mortems reduce personalization, because most of the emotion has faded away.
And the sixth key is to develop a thick skin. People who are willing to risk being vulnerable are perceived as being a bigger person. It's important to learn to overcome the emotional tendency to fight back with those who disagree with you and insult you unintentionally ? or even intentionally! Keep your eyes on the prize and address any of the pettiness later. If you can do this, you will become a significantly better leader, as well.
Rob Waite is a senior executive with over 20 years of leadership experience in domestic and international business. His successful track record includes start-ups, turnarounds, multinational strategic partnerships and global business expansions with Fortune 500 companies. Rob is also a successful author, dynamic speaker and a business strategist. His most recent book is The Lost Art of General Management, was dubbed "a must read for anyone who wants to be unstoppable in business" by one well-known CEO. Rob also developed and produced a one-of-kind interactive virtual seminar The Six Figure Job Search that guides executive level job seekers through the entire job search process. Also, joining such luminaries as Bill Gates, Donald Trump and Suze Orman, Rob is a contributing author to the Walking With the Wise series from Mentors magazine. Rob has been a senior executive with both Fortune 500 and Global 500 companies. You can learn more about Rob, his books and programs at http://www.robwaite.com and at http://www.sixfigurejobsearch.com
 Google News Updated : Sun, 12 Oct 2008 17:51:10 GMT Spotlight on Apple notebooks: 1989 to 2008 - CNNMoney.com
CNNMoney.com - On Tuesday, Oct. 14, Apple will unveil the latest addition to a long line of portable computers that dates back nearly 20 years - to the ungainly, 15.8-pound “Macintosh Portable” that PC World named the 17th worst technology product of all time. This week in Apple: New notebooks, new writers, and more Woz Don't Buy A Mac Laptop* Publ.Date : Sun, 12 Oct 2008 15:23:15 GMT "Chihuahua" bites Crowe, DiCaprio at box office - Reuters Reuters - LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The new terrorism thriller "Body of Lies" failed to take the top spot at the weekend box office in North America on Sunday, becoming the latest victim of moviegoer aversion to movies dealing with Middle East intrigue. 'Chihuahua' still has bite in second weekend at box office ‘Body’ Talk, Baby Talk Publ.Date : Sun, 12 Oct 2008 16:19:10 GMT US-POLITICS Summary - Washington Post
Washington Post - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Democrat Barack Obama has opened a 6-point lead over Republican rival John McCain in the US presidential race, according to a Reuters/C-SPAN/Zogby poll released on Sunday. John McCain and Sarah Palin try new tactics Pittsburgh Paper Picks Obama, Pans on McCain/Palin Ticket Publ.Date : Sun, 12 Oct 2008 15:22:18 GMT Stem cell promises, obstacles remain four years after bill's approval - San Jose Mercury News San Jose Mercury News - EDITOR'S NOTE: This is first of a two-part series examining the progress and potential pitfalls in California's $3 billion stem cell research program. Researchers find easier way to make stem cells New method generates stem cells safely from mice Publ.Date : Sun, 12 Oct 2008 16:34:39 GMT Lisa Marie Presley delivers twins: report - Reuters
Reuters - LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Lisa Marie Presley, Elvis Presley's only child, gave birth to twin baby girls on October 7, celebrity news TV show "Entertainment Tonight" said on its website on Saturday. Twin girls for Lisa Marie Presley Lisa Marie Presley Welcomes Twin Girls Publ.Date : Sat, 11 Oct 2008 17:17:01 GMT Texas new No. 1 in coaches poll after wild college football weekend - USA Today
USA Today - By Eddie Timanus, USA TODAY The date won't quite live in infamy, but college football followers should remember Oct. 11, 2008, for a long time. Kansas fails to move up in polls Texas grabs top ranking in AP Poll Publ.Date : Sun, 12 Oct 2008 17:18:35 GMT Obama Gains in States Such as Iowa, Florida Give National Boost - Bloomberg
Bloomberg - By James Rowley and Kristin Jensen Oct. 12 (Bloomberg) -- Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama is moving ahead in a series of new polls from Florida to Iowa, gains that are helping him maintain a national lead over Republican John McCain. Video: Kids Vote On Campaign '08 Newsday poll: Obama has double-digit lead on Long Island Publ.Date : Sun, 12 Oct 2008 15:51:54 GMT Make Money From Home |
PARLOT::Ebooks, Scripts,
Websites, and more... A bold title, don't you think? I mean, change is... Read More Customer relationship management (CRM) is one of the most effective... Read More The reason jobs are often not done right and employees... Read More Military analysts call this "asymmetrical" war (as if war has... Read More It's the middle of the night. You've woken up with... Read More Starting your own business is a great undertaking but running... Read More Whoever said that being a meeting planner was easy, lied!... Read More How you run your business is, of course your business.... Read More SELECTING THE RIGHT PERSON: To whom should tasks be delegated?... Read More You can boil down the difference between successful businesses and... Read More Women have made tremendous contributions to society at every level;... Read More In Part One, I described the Leadership Talk and how... Read More Results of Poor Cross Cultural Awareness. Having a poor understanding... Read More Everyone wants to succeed yet everyone has a different perception... Read More MSDS SHEETSMSDS stands for Material Safety Data Sheets. MSDS sheets... Read More JUGGLING DEMANDS: All leaders constantly juggle a multifarious array of... Read More Every one of us, in reality, has two people inside:... Read More Todays business environment has changed drastically from just a few... Read More Encouraged by the recognition, Sarah Lewsiton went home from work... Read More Managing a meeting is like setting off on a long... Read More DECIDING WHAT TO DELEGATE: Once the benefits of delegation are... Read More Driving down the road our eyes frequently scan the vital... Read More Office politics! It's just another way of saying: "The employees... Read More Sometimes when I conduct my workshop on Effective Meetings, one... Read More Every organization is looking for the holy grail of performance... Read More
Adsense
websites
Five Reasons Why Leaders Fail to Create Successful Change
3 Reasons Why CRM Strategies Fail
How Bad Communication Can Hold You Back and How to Break Free of It
New Leadership For A New War
Bye-Bye Boring Meetings! Make Yours Remarkable!
The Top 5 Signals That Your Business Is Running You
Ten Secrets of Super Successful Meeting Planners
Be a Leader - The Importance of Going Home Early!
Delegate Tasks to the Right Person
Customer Focus - Just 5 SimpleThings You Need to Think About
Looking through the Glass Ceiling - Women in Management
Turbo Charge Your Career With The Most Powerful Leadership Tool Of All: The Leadership Talk: Part 2
Results of Poor Cross Cultural Awareness
Leadership: Stoking The Success Train
Cheat Sheet; Understanding The MSDS and Your Obligations In The Workplace To Employees
Juggling Demands in an Organization
What Every Manager Should Know About How to Maximize the Two People Inside
The Top Three Problems IT Managers Face and How to Overcome Them
Why Saying Well Done Works
Meetings and Road Trips
Deciding What to Delegate
Create Your Dashboard for Success
Office Politics
Why Training Fails
Change Behaviors, Change Performance
Affordable and Reliable Web Hosting Starting at $4.49/Month
Keys to Feeling Powerfull In An Uncertain World
Life has always been full of uncertainties. Over the last... Read More
10 Ways To Maintain Profits In A Slow Economy
1. Sell more back end products to your existing customer... Read More
Problem-Solving Success Tip: Measure
Measure.The first key question to answer in starting a problem-solving... Read More
Why Your Company Needs An E-Mail Policy
Everyone at the office thought that using the company e-mail... Read More
Turbo Charge Your Career With The Most Powerful Leadership Tool Of All: The Leadership Talk: Part 2
In Part One, I described the Leadership Talk and how... Read More
Workplace Security Plan: Does Your Company Have One?
Consultant's Perspective...The threat of violence whether it emanates from a... Read More
How to Help Your Company Become a World Class Company
Most people think real change in an organization occurs as... Read More
Basic Management Skills
Recent studies have shown that industrial supervisors are working at... Read More
Poor Employee Performance: How to Deal
KEEP WRITTEN RECORDS: "Document !Document! Document!" Keep a record of... Read More
Poly Bags and Pallet Shrouds - Just Get it Right
For many companies, procuring the right packaging, such as Poly... Read More
Guidelines For Conducting A Good Meeting
Okay, so you've figured out what kind of meeting is... Read More
30 Ways to be a Butt-Head Boss
1. Trust no one. Not your superiors and not your... Read More
Seeking Help
Where does the time go? Billable time. As a consultant,... Read More
Quality Improvement is Free
The point of a quality improvement program should not only... Read More
Creating Your Own Business Upturn - Powering Business Development
We all see it . . . business markets are... Read More
Is It Worth To Outsource? How One Can Outsource Wisely
Recent trends in software development market show that it is... Read More
The Few & the Many: Free Trade, Outsourcing, & Communication
Have you noticed that some sound ideas get bad publicity?... Read More
Leaders Versus Cheerleaders
Everyone wants to describe themselves as a leader. Everyday, new... Read More
Problem Solving - Think Cleopatras Ass
Picture the scene. Anthony pops down to the guardhouse, partly... Read More
Leaning Toward Change
Seduced by the publicity surrounding the impact of Lean on... Read More
How to Coach Your Employees - 5 Simple Steps Anyone Can Do!
Want to get more from your people, but you don't... Read More
Riding the Waves to Success
Last week I was confused and frustrated about a few... Read More
Never Punish Yourself or Others for Failures
If you want to find success in various ramifications, be... Read More
10 Steps Towards A Stress-Free Introduction Into Management
Becoming a manager for the first time can be an... Read More
Delegate, Dont Abdicate
One of the key skills for the leaders of growing... Read More
Business Management |