Assumptions about Speaking Up: A Personal Story in 3 Lessons
I make too many assumptions in meetings.
I assume people are thinking the same things I am and that my thoughts don't need to be voiced. As a result, I don't speak up as much as I should in meetings. Afterward, I kick myself, thinking I should have voiced my idea, either because someone else ended up saying it (and everyone thought it was brilliant) or because it could have helped the team end up in a better place then we did.
But people are not always thinking the same thing I am. In fact, it's rare for someone else to have the exact same thought I do. Everyone has their own agenda, perspectives, and experiences. We all make sense of the world differently, and we have different goals and projects that affect the context behind our thoughts.
Lesson #1: People are not always thinking the same thing you're thinking.
Plus, what's the harm in speaking up? If we were thinking the same thing, we would agree on it, which would validate all of our thoughts at the same time. It would show that we have a shared understanding and maybe even shared goals, and that could potentially build trust and camaraderie that will benefit working together on future projects.
Lesson #2: Speaking up and someone agreeing with you is a good thing.
And even if I'm wrong, or if other people's thoughts conflict with mine, was it really so bad that I spoke up anyway? Plus, is it really so bad to be wrong? Or for the team to decide something different?
No, it's not. And at the very least, your thoughts were heard. See, I'm actually quite skilled at playing devil's advocate and raising the various thoughts we should consider in order to land on a well-rounded, strategically, well-thought-out plan forward. When you bring a fresh perspective to the table, you can help the team arrive at a better outcome than they would have otherwise.
And if they disagree with you, and the team goes in a different direction, that's okay, too. At least they considered your viewpoint.
Plus, your goal in speaking in the meeting was to be heard--not to solve the entire problem yourself. You spoke up to present an idea--not to finalize it. You did your part.
Lesson #3: Speaking up and someone disagreeing with you is not a bad thing.
At the very least, the more people who speak up in meetings, the greater the diversity of thought your team will achieve. And diversity of thought is an important element of strong team cultures where everyone feels empowered, valued, and heard.
Diversity of Thought: An Overview
Diversity of thought simply refers to the idea that there are multiple ways to think about something. There are a range of mindsets, perspectives, cultures, goals, identities, opinions, and experiences that affect the way people think and act. This is something to be celebrated especially during a brainstorm or a project meeting where innovation is the goal. But it shows up in many different forms. Whenever there is a problem, diversity of thought will provide many ways to solve it. Whenever there is a challenge, diversity of thought will unlock many creative ways to rise to it.
Diversity of thought gives our work and our ideas better depth, more context, and a clearer shape. Exploring alternative perspectives allows us to anticipate pushback or issues so we can figure them out now for a more successful future.
Diversity of Thought: An Agile Practice
"Agile" practices are popular and effective because they focus on efficiency. One could argue that speaking up in meetings, playing devil's advocate, and challenging our assumptions up front could be considered agile practices. It may seem like it takes up more time to bring up new angles and then iron out those wrinkles, but it actually saves time to have those strategic discussions earlier in the process rather than later when other work may have already been done and may need to be edited or cut.
Convert Thoughts to Speech
Challenge your own assumptions by being an advocate for diversity of thought. When you think other people are thinking the same thing as you, don't assume. Shift from thought to a more tangible metric like speech to measure output. Instead of sitting with your thoughts and making potentially harmful assumptions about what other people may or may not be thinking, convert your thoughts into words and vocalize your ideas. Make your thoughts tangible enough to make an impact--and tangible enough for others to respond to them. Only through their response to your spoken ideas will you know whether they agree or disagree, or whether your idea is strategically aligned and feasible or not quite what they're looking for. You won't be able to gather that data until you vocalize your thoughts.
And the motivation behind doing this can be to advocate for diversity of thought. Throw your hat into the ring and see what happens. If no one is speaking out against an idea, there's a chance that idea will run into issues later. What if you could have helped mitigate those issues before expending any resources? Promote diversity of thought and be agile by converting thoughts to speech to make an impact now.
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