I refer to a 'grown-up' conversation as one in which alternative, maybe conflicting and unexpected, views are shared. it might be the first time that a perspective has been shared in front the people in the room. Maybe not a disagreement, more of an angle that works for one stakeholder more than another. One person's Opportunity presenting a Challenge elsewhere. *Reminds me of a story about the 'sunshine conversaton'- do ask me about that sometime!
I loved this from Seth Godin in his daily newsletter which sums up a powerful aspect of BIG PICTURE really well ..
The hallmark of a resilient, productive and sustainable culture is that disagreements aren’t risky.
When someone cares enough to make an assertion and show their work, a healthy organisation or society takes a look.
The alternative is the brittle, closed culture of talking points, loyalty oaths and unquestioned status quo. It might be a neighborhood social club, a large corporation or a nation, but the principle remains.
What happens when we disagree? Because when the world changes (and it always does) we’ll probably end up disagreeing sooner later. Being good at it is a skill.
Seth Godin
I'm thinking of the different rooms I've been in where disagreements have been discouraged or shared and batted down. In Matthew Syed's Black Box Thinking he talks about the strength when opening up to diversity of ideas by inviting different people into the conversation.
The beauty of BIG PICTURE is it's a level playing field on which colleagues from all parts of the organisation, left and right- up and down, can come together to share their perspective. It's easier to direct thoughts via and through the Symbols rather than pointing the finger in anyone's direction. In doing do new conections are made together and because of that there is relief, accountablty and responsiblity for what is is to come. Within some parameters in safe place let's disagree soon?
