Speaking your mind
I spent the day with my colleagues on the IAMCP International board in Building 121 at the Microsoft Redmond office on Saturday. We were doing our business planning for the upcoming year and discussing how to take the IAMCP to the next level as an organization. Is this a common theme?
So I reflect on Saturday’s meetings, plus the SWOT that IT Matters went through and one huge common theme came out of it. We need to speak our mind when it is our turn? Perhaps one of my top 5 weaknesses is that I usually don’t speak my mind when it would lead to a confrontation, usually I cave and then bellyache about the decision that was made and even in my earlier days I just totally ignored the decision and did what I wanted anyways.
When we are in planning meetings or in any kind of interaction and it is our turn to speak, then we have to speak up and speak our mind. Now, this can be for simple clarification on a challenge or to “stop the presses” when something isn’t right.
Why is that that many people don’t speak their mind? In my example, it is because I didn’t want a confrontation or it was the easy way out. They ran a commercial in Canada once during one of the elections about going out to vote as your opportunity to speak your mind. We must stand up for what we believe in and discuss things in our business or organizations or we must ask questions when something is not totally clear.
Conflict and confronting people in business is a good thing and it must happen to keep a business healthy and challenged. The last thing we want to complacency in our lives. When we are complacent in what we do we are actually starting to die slowly. We must be engaged and challenged and confronting those that are not clear, or maybe are not doing things for the best interest of the group is a very good thing to keep the business or organization on its correct path.
