Disagreement As Clarifier
When I pause to take stock of the diverse array of tools in my product design toolkit, the winner is clear: disagreement.
Few other tools possess its magical powers. Disagreement sharpens. It clarifies. Like a chisel on marble. Like pressure creating a diamond. It whittles ideas down to their constituent parts. It sets interpretations head to head.
Why is disagreement so powerful? When two reasonable people disagree, both of them are usually right, just in different ways. The path towards resolution leads to insight, if not being outright paved with it.
To reap the rewards of this tool, disagreement must be respectful. Indeed, I consider disagreement to be a sign of respect — as commitment to whatever shared goal we may be working towards. After all, disagreeing involves social risk. It requires you to move slowly and deliberately in a setting where fast decisions, easy agreement, and smooth sailing are lauded. To disagree is to mortgage your social capital so that you can fight for an idea you believe in.
When it comes to resolving disagreement, one of the best pieces of advice I ever got came from the CEO of a startup. Despite this flashy title, he was a mathematician at heart. I asked him how he handles disagreement on his team. “First, I assume that everyone on my team is a reasonable person. This means that if two reasonable people hold the same prior information, they will come to the same conclusion. Therefore, a disagreement means that two parties have different sets of information. From there, I simply figure out what the missing information might be.” This answer stuck with me due to its elegance.
What are your thoughts on disagreement? Has it led to productive discomfort or unexpected insights? Share in the comments!
