feature
In her 2012 TedTalk, “Dare to Disagree,”
business leader Margaret Heffernen points
out that within American corporations, 85
per cent of executives acknowledge that
they’ve refrained from raising issues or
concerns at work because they didn’t want
to cause conflict.
In the best-selling business management
book Tribal Leadership, authors
Dave Logan, John King and Halee Fischer-
Wright share research indicating 49 per
cent of North American workplaces are
operating from a stage in development that
doesn’t support a diversity of opinions.
“In this stage, knowledge is hoarded –
it’s power,” said Flatt. “The language is, ‘I’m
great and you’re not.’” With this mindset,
people aren’t open to receiving new or contradictory
ideas and don’t feel safe engaging
in productive disagreements. It’s a structure
that discourages true collaboration.
When the ability to voice differing opinions
is missing within an organization, it’s
a recipe for stagnation, or worse.
“If positive dissent is absent, I really cannot
see organizations being very healthy,”
said Papa. Most organizational models for
“WHEN EMPLOYEES ARE
ABLE TO SPEAK OPENLY AND
SHARE DIFFERING OPINIONS, IT
CONTRIBUTES TO THEIR SENSE OF
PURPOSE AND THE CONTRIBUTIONS
THEY FEEL THEY CAN OFFER THE
ORGANIZATION. POSITIVE DISSENT
IS ANALOGOUS TO EMPOWERMENT
AND ENGAGEMENT.”
– ANTHONY PAPA, SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT GLOBAL
HUMAN RESOURCES, FEDERAL-MOGUL MOTORPARTS
success advocate hiring top talent to drive
the organization. “This top talent wants to
be recognized, have input into decisionmaking
and long-term strategic planning.
However, an absence of positive two-way,
open communication and a culture that
doesn’t encourage employees to challenge
one another will result in top talent, or
your ‘A-players,’ leaving and more mediocre
talent, or your ‘B-players,’ staying.”
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205 Humber College Blvd., Toronto, Ontario M9W 5L7 Tel: 416.675.5047 Email: ted.patterson@humber.ca
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HRPATODAY.CA ❚ FEBRUARY 2016 ❚ 35