Disagree and commit
I spend most of my time here writing about competitive intelligence. Obviously that’s because it is a core component of my role at Sprout and it is one of the topics I feel best equipped to write about authoritatively. But today’s post is about a concept that’s been top of mind for me in the last few months: disagree and commit.
For anyone that has spent time with me, you know that I hate being wrong. The desire to debate nearly everything is firmly embedded in the Mertens’ family DNA. As someone who has been an ENTP on every Meyers-Briggs test he’s taken since seventh grade, I proudly take on the role of the devil’s advocate. My wife would be the first to tell you that I frequently argue the side I don’t agree with just to challenge how I think in the future.
But as my career has progressed and I’m involved in more cross-functional and strategic conversations, I’m not always right nor is my recommendation the one that is taken. And for someone that takes all of those instances a personal defeat, I can tell you it can be demotivating at times.
But I’ve learned from the best leaders at my company that if you’ve made your case and it doesn’t break your way, the best thing you can do is disagree and commit to the chosen path forward.
It sounds so simple, yet it is easier said than done. The idea that you should go along with an approach that you fundamentally disagree with creates a certain amount of cognitive dissonance that can be hard to overcome. But big initiatives can easily be run aground by a single individual that doesn’t buy into the vision.
If you’ve given your POV, presented your evidence and felt you couldn’t have done anything differently, get on board with the selected approach. Stomp out those feelings of disappointment, otherwise they’ll creep in and affect your work.
The concept of “disagree and commit” has not just made me a team player, I believe that it has made me a better leader. The more that others see you buy in, the more likely they’ll do the same in the future.
Candidly, I am still working on not feeling like the decision to go another direction is a personal affront to me and my intelligence. But the more I practice disagreeing and committing, the less the blow stings each time. These things take time.
