Leadership Lessons from Kids - When they disagree for reasons only they know or don't!

My daughter was learning 4 digit numbers in school. For practice, I asked her to write numbers from 999 to 1099.

She : I won't write till 1099

Me : But why?

She : I don't want to write so much. I will write till 1100

Me : Till what number?

She : Till 1100

Me : OK. Why not till 1099?

She : It is a lot of numbers. I cannot write so much. I am a small girl, my hand will pain. How can you ask me to write so many numbers?

Me : OK. Till what number will you write?

She : Till 1100

Me : OK.

I smiled to myself. The whole episode got me thinking. At work, many times there are people who disagree with what you say. They could be your boss, your co-workers or your team.

Sometimes, they disagree as they have a different point of view, and as working professionals it is agreeable to disagree.

Sometimes, they disagree because they see things only from their point of view, which might be a limited perspective of the situation. In some cases, they might be right. In some cases, they might be speaking out of ignorance. In some cases, they might be speaking out of limited experiences.

Sometimes, they disagree because they don't want to agree with you!

As a leader, how do you handle such situations? Well for starters, it is best to step back and ask yourself if this is a one off instance, or a recurring pattern. Two, look at which of the some times it falls into and plan your next course of action.

If they disagree as they have a different point of view, then it is good to listen to them. Next pause and reflect how you would like to address their points.

If they disagree because they see things only from their point of view, then it may be worthwhile to listen to them fully. Next do show them the larger perspective - so they are able to appreciate your point of view.

If they disagree because they don't want to agree with you! This situation is tricky and needs to be handled with tact and maturity. Sometimes, you might have to be prescriptive / directive in the short term and collaborative in the long term. Sometimes, you might have to be silent for now and address the issue in the long term.

Pause and reflect | How do you handle work situations when they disagree for reasons only they know or don't! Let me know in the comments below