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
Related News
|
 |
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Delegation - The Basic Steps To Reducing Your Workload And Creating A Successful Team
If you have a task greater than you can handle on your own, then you need to delegate. Not a choice many of us choose to make, but one we can all learn. This article will take you through why delegation is so important and give you simple steps to take so that you communicate the vision, motivate your members and build them as individuals and as a successful team.
Turn Your Speech Into A Leadership Talk
My experience working with thousands of leaders world wide for the past two decades teaches me that most leaders are screwing up their careers.
How to Dodge Distribution Difficulties
It happened again. I ran into an old friend while registering for the World Masters Games last month and as we were catching up, she complemented me on a necklace I was wearing. When I told her I bought it in South Africa on my last trip there, she exclaimed, "You have to start importing these. You'd make a fortune!"
How Managers Can Turn Failures Into Successes
Although there are real, external reasons for managerial difficulty ? including massive reorganization after takeovers and the realities of discrimination due to age, sex, and race ? managers fail most often for reasons they themselves create.
Project Management 101
Project management is a very important business concept because it is in place to ensure that projects are completed in a timely fashion as well as to the best of the company's ability. Project Management is basically the discipline of making goals and reaching those goals. Usually, the entire scope of project management is taken care of by an individual project manager.
Dealing with Marginal Performers: The Therapeutic Approach
--PREPARATION: The purpose of the therapeutic approach is to spark an employee toward improved performance through counseling. The manager's goal is to help the employee recognize the existence of a problem, accept the need for change, and formulate his or her own program for improvement. The manager should critically assess his or her own attitudes and opinions. It is important to try to eliminate all personal bias and prejudice or at least be aware of any such emotions no matter how little effect they seem to be having. For the most positive results, the manager should be noncritical or at least noncommittal toward the marginal performer. In addition, the interview should be conducted in private, without interruptions, and with adequate time.
Problem Solving - Think Cleopatras Ass
Picture the scene. Anthony pops down to the guardhouse, partly because he wants a break with the lads, but also because he has a problem. Cleopatra says she wants to bathe in ass's milk. So Anthony tells the guys in the guardhouse, that he needs
some help. "The wife wants to bathe in ass's milk now." He says.
Managing Creativity
Creativity Starts Here!
Top Ten Tips for Outstanding Customer Service
Remember the 80:20 rule? You may not get everything perfectly right, but getting
most right will be much, much better than the majority of your competition. These
Top Ten Tips for Customer Service will get you well on the way.
Structure Your Payment Offers to Sell More Products
The way you structure your payment offers can increase your sales. I'm not talking about the way people pay like credit cards, digital payments, checks, and cash options. What I'm taking about is can your customers try before they buy, pay later, make payments, do they get a rebate, etc. Below are six payment offers that will sell like your products or services like crazy:
Recycling, Reverse Logistics and?..Candy
The candy box is a container for all your favourite chew bars, gum and all your other favourite candy. A must-have for all kids and a great fashion accessory! The marketers are desperate for kids to user
their box - so much so that they will soon be giving them away!
Building Shareholder Value Through Your People
Increasing shareholder value is the most important driver for organisations in the modern business world. Shareholder value is built through growing profit and building confidence in the organisation, which moves share prices upwards. Shareholders like this!And the employees of an organisation have a crucial part to play in both elements of this.
6 Steps To Effective Management During Change
Take the pain out of gain and decrease the upheaval surrounding change by following six commonsense steps to effective management.
Inspirational Power ( Part 1 )
The Fundamentals of Strategic Marketing,
Some Key Traits for Greater Effectiveness
Employees Commit Corporate Fraud
Imagine the following scenario; Ten years ago you decided to
quit your job and start your own company. For ten years you
worked hard, made sacrifices, and it paid off in the end.
One of your first employees, a loyal, hard working employee
has been by your side the whole way.
Nonprofit Performance: Outcome Measurement Can Be A Good Thing
Does the idea of program evaluation make your stomach churn? If so, you're not alone. Many nonprofit professionals and volunteers view program evaluation with fear. The idea of outcome measurement often takes these fears to new heights.
Assertive Communication - 6 Tips For Effective Use
Assertive communication is the ability to express positive and negative ideas and feelings in an open, honest and direct way. It recognises our rights whilst still respecting the rights of others. It allows us to take responsibility for ourselves and our actions without judging or blaming other people. And it allows us to constructively confront and find a mutually satisfying solution where conflict exists.
Work Priorities: Where Can You Spend Your Time Most Effectively?
Understanding where you can spend time most effectively requires concentration in three areas:
Too Much Time Treating Symptoms
A man drives down the highway each day on his way to work. On Monday he gets a flat tire. Like anyone else, he takes his lumps, changes his tire, and moves on.
Make a Difference - Sweat the Small Stuff First
My background is in retail management - yes, running stores, from tiny ones you couldn't swing the proverbial cat around in, to huge three floor jobs. Yet there are some guiding principles which, like Giuliani did for New York, that make a difference on a smaller scale. Guiding principles which make a huge, possibly unseen difference to your customers and no less so to your employees.
|
