Stop Arguing with the Rule of Three

How to kill arguments and force smarter thinking: one idea is a bad idea, two ideas is an argument, three ideas is a brainstorm.

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This is a quick little hack that holds a special place in my management toolbox.

I call it the Rule of Three.

One idea is a bad idea

Lots of times, someone will tell you they’ve got an idea and they can’t wait to start on it.

But sometimes that idea sounds stupendously bad.

If you just start poking holes in their idea then you come off as an asshole.

And either you fail to convince the person that their idea is bad — in which case you (or your team or your company) still have a bad idea.

Or you successfully berate the person until they give up on their idea — in which case you have no ideas.

Neither is ideal.

Two ideas is an argument

Sometimes two people will will be simultaneously trying to share their own ideas while poking holes in each other’s ideas.

Or, also common, you will respond to an idea that you don’t like by proposing your own alternative idea.