Disagree and commit
State your objection once, then back the decision fully instead of relitigating it
Three words that end an argument without either side pretending to be convinced. One person says plainly that they think the plan is wrong, then commits to making it work anyway, with no quiet sabotage and no revisiting the question a week later. It is meant to run in both directions, so a boss can disagree and commit to a team's idea as readily as the team can commit to the boss's. The saving is time and goodwill; the alternative is usually a long war of attrition that exhausts everyone and settles nothing.
Who backs it
Sorted by strength of stance
- Jeff BezosDoes it
Amazon and Blue Origin founder · Six-page memos and eight hours of sleep
Writes that he disagrees and commits all the time, and gives the example of greenlighting an Amazon Studios show he had doubts about. Told Lex Fridman that he would often tell a direct report he thought they were wrong but would gamble with them anyway.
Source: Amazon 2016 Letter to Shareholders
Aimed at the same thing
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