Here is an interesting article I read this week, "Getting to the Heart of a Disagreement – and Resolving It," by Roger Schwarz. I often wonder why good people who want to do the right thing so often disagree and seem unable to resolve the disagreement. Schwarz argues that we waste time looking for common ground when we should be analyzing our assumptions, interests, and facts to find the heart of the disagreement. Once we can find a specific aspect of a problem on which we disagree, then we can work to understand the disagreement and try to craft a solution that puts us back on the same path.
It is election time, and observing the rhetoric of the various campaigns, it seems that candidates are put into a position where they must try to diverge from their opponents in order to win the race. Even when elections are over, our elected officials are always living with the specter of the next election. This competitive approach to governance seems to value winning over collaborating. How can our government solve the really big problems of society in this competitive environment?
My own approach to disagreement in the workplace is to remind myself that we all want to do good work and to help our university be the best it can be. Good solutions are what we should seek, not winning in order to build our own importance in the organization. Of course, position in the organization gives us our platforms from which to influence others, but we should strive to downplay our own positions and importance in favor of the great solutions to problems. We should all strive to be leaders in problem solving, and that means working to resolve disagreement.
No comments:
Post a Comment