Compete
April 14, 2019A Personal Insight
June 15, 2019How important is it for you to be right?
I love this question, because if it is understood and taken on at a certain level and in a particular way, it really does cause oneself to check approach, ego, and psychology.
I recently sat in on a conversation between two parties, each side making good points but admittedly not a whole lot of listening going on. Well, at least not positive listening but more the negative kind. The type of listening where you hear enough to refute, to take back control, to see where to interject. Yes, that type of listening.
One party was more on the offence, the win at all cost type approach. The other, perhaps a little more balanced in their initial approach but you could see the frustration correspondingly grow as they realised that playing by the rules wasn’t really going to be the best approach to a successful conclusion.
Approach, mood, and emotion began to escalate.
It was at this time I dropped the question, aimed directly at both parties:
‘Do you want resolution or do you want to be right?’
I had sat on the question for a few minutes as I had to ascertain if the parties involved were able and prepared to find resolution by themselves. It soon became evident that was not going to happen. I also needed to promote the question into the conversation before the parties became so incensed on the win that the question would not even be relevant let alone heard. They would be beyond the point of no return, the point where winning was the only point of focus, emotion and energy.
When I dropped that question it hit them like a bolt of lightning.
In the name of total honesty and understanding the question only had the effect that it did because the those involved were mature enough to let go of the win for a moment. A moment that allowed them to examine and understand the question and then be able to provide an honest, relevant answer.
But let’s leave that story there for the moment and go back to where we began…
How important is it for you to be right?
Take a few minutes right now to contemplate your answer. Then use the understanding gained from reaching your answer to help you make sure that in all the right ways and for all the right reasons…
The Journey Continues!