1/ Disagree and commit
“Disagree and commit” is critical for a well functioning team. Consensus is many times too expensive to achieve and so is the lack of commitment. There are countless pages dedicated to this concept so it is not worth diving deep into here.
However, please note that “disagree and commit” starts with “disagree”. Blind commitment by suspending judgement is equally toxic. So, speak your mind, argue your point, then when a decision is made, stick to it regardless of whether you agree or disagree. Respectful and open disagreement is foundational for a healthy team culture.
2/ “He/she said” is not an argument, regardless of who he/she is.
A corollary of the previous point. If you don’t understand a decision, ask. Clarify. Ensure your voice is heard. Suspending your judgement just to follow consensus or please a leader (higher level, TL, manager) is unprofessional. You must understand the rationale and the implications of what you do and the leader must take the time to articulate why. And you must show curiosity, provide alternatives, analysis, and due diligence.
3/ Fast, focused, deep
Another corollary of the first point - fast and focused execution, with depth of understanding.
It’s impossible to expect people to have all the answers or ask all the potential questions, but proof of intellectual curiosity is a must. If you don’t understand what you do, don’t do it until it is clear. Ask. When you don’t have an answer to a question asked by someone else, take it as an opportunity to learn and figure out the answer. Depth of understanding, reasoning from first principles, adaptable mental models are fundamental to knowledge work are the hallmark of professional integrity.
4/ Measure learning and process
Nobody is born knowledgeable. Every outcome has a random, uncontrollable part. Under our control is how we take decisions, how we choose to follow a process and how we learn from the outcomes. Successes and failures don’t teach us much. Looking under the hood honestly and assessing what we could have done differently given the information we had at the decision point is what we have under our control. Be kind to yourself in case of failure, take yourself with a grain of salt in case of success, look in the mirror and ruthlessly assess your learning and thinking processes regardless.
