The Staff Disagreement

A coaching staff is sitting in a room discussing the game plan for the upcoming opponent when a testy exchange breaks out.

“We have to play slow,” the first coach says. “They have better athletes and will dominate us if we try to compete at their pace.”

“No, that’s the wrong idea and plays exactly into their hands,” says the second coach. “We can’t back down and be timid just because they’re fast.”

“It’s not about playing fast or slow,” the third says. “We need to make some major personnel adjustments if we stand any chance of competing.”

But the first coach then goes into a detailed explanation of analytics for why playing slowly is most practical — and ultimately convinces the third coach that it really is the best strategy if they hope to win the game.

During the day’s practice in which they outline their schemes in front of the team, the second coach is visibly frustrated that he didn’t get his way and is getting increasingly annoyed at his fellow-staff members and the players.

As we enter the final two months of 2022, many of us as leaders will be engaged in intense debates over business strategies moving forward, upcoming opponents, the best use of resources to elevate our own teams to new heights.

When these dialogues arise and different perspectives are brought to the table, tensions can inevitably mount. But there’s a crucial quote from former U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell that we’d be wise to keep in mind:

“When we are debating an issue, loyalty means giving me your honest opinion, whether you think I’ll like it or not. Disagreement, at this stage, stimulates me. But once a decision has been made, the debate ends. From that point on, loyalty means executing the decision as if it were your own.”

In essence, we talk, we present our views, we decide, we move on.

When an internal decision has been agreed upon — whether unanimously or not — we have a duty to go along with it and stand behind it as if it’s our own.

This can be incredibly challenging at times as our egos and the desire to be right can interfere with practicality and the bigger picture.

But in the long run, the consensus needs to prevail — and we must sell the new strategy as if it's our own.