What is Dissent? – Dissent simply means stating what you believe to be true, even (especially) if it is different from the group.
The next time you have a decision meeting plant a dissenter. Someone who disagrees with the decision being made at the meeting. The role for this person is to challenge the groups assumptions. Dissent won’t happen naturally, typically people are afraid to disagree with the group and/or the boss.
People conform for two main reasons:
- Because they want to fit in with the group and
- Because they believe the group is better informed than they are.
This is important for us to remember as we go throughout our day, having conversations with our teams.
When we make decisions we do not want to drive consensus we want to embrace dissent. Remember, whatever you do, when you make if safe to dissent you’ll hear more from your people, and make better decisions.
Create this environment on your own! Check out the Dissent Cards.
