Welcome to SWOT Sunday!
There’s existential conflict right now within the Democratic Party and its supporter base. Just when clarity and unity are most needed to defeat Donald Trump, dissent is rising around Joe Biden’s candidacy. What Biden and his people are doing isn’t building unity, only anger and despair.
This is fundamentally a leadership failure, which goes to the very top (as it usually does). Joe Biden, his campaign, and the national party leadership are simply unable and unwilling to listen to and work effectively with dissenters. We wouldn’t be talking about this now, only a few months out from Election Day, if leadership had dealt with the issues that have long festered before now.
Today I want to discuss briefly why Biden’s not getting the message, why tapping into the power of dissent is actually the path to success for all organizations, not just political parties, and how it’s done.
In my experience working with similarly failing leadership, often change comes only after a catastrophic loss or defeat. If Trump gets elected, and/or we lose one or both houses of Congress, we’ll be fighting for survival. Hopefully if that happens, we’ll be able to learn from our mistakes and bring on new leaders.
Why People Aren’t Telling Biden The Truth
Adam Grant, an organizational psychologist at the Wharton School, penned an excellent opinion piece in the New York Times called The Reason People Are Not Telling Biden the Truth.
Grant starts by saying that “In the past two weeks [July], several leaders have told me they arrived at meetings with President Biden planning to have serious discussions about whether he should withdraw from the 2024 election. They all chickened out.”
People close to the President have asked Grant for advice on getting through to Biden. But when Grant gives them ideas for how to approach it, “they’ve each made it clear that they’re afraid to put their relationship on the line and they don’t think Mr. Biden will listen to them.”
Grant tells us that “Leaders who want to make informed decisions need to make it clear they value candid input. Mr. Biden has done the opposite [my emphasis], declaring first that only the Lord almighty could change his mind and then saying that he’ll drop out only if polls say there’s no way for him to win.
That sends a strong message: If you’re not an immortal being or a time traveler from the future, it’s pointless to share any concerns about the viability of his candidacy…
You Can’t Handle The Truth
In his recent interview with Biden, NBC’s Lester Holt pressed him on the question of whether he had watched the disastrous debate performance that caused the explosion of calls for him to drop out, Holt suggested gently that maybe Biden hasn’t seen what the rest of us saw.
Biden did admit he has seen only “pieces” of it, but waved away any need for him to see it and learn what people are talking about. “I was there,” he said. When pushed further on what might result should he bring a similar performance in the future, he snapped that it wouldn’t happen.
Adam Grant says on this subject that “In our research, [we] found that it helps for leaders to criticize themselves out loud. That way, instead of just claiming that they want the truth, they can show that they can handle the truth…Reviewing the game tape together would demonstrate that he’s willing to take an honest look in the mirror.”
Grant suggests his best idea for getting through to Biden: “No one will get anywhere by insisting that the president is too old or demanding that he quit. A more compelling message would position the possibility of withdrawing as an opportunity, not a failure:
‘You could make history through your selfless stewardship of the next generation. Personally, I don’t know if that’s the right decision. I just want to make sure it gets due consideration. Would you be open to hosting a meeting to hear the dissenting views?’
Tapping Into The Power Of Dissent
Leaders Edge has some concrete advice on how to tap into the power of dissent.
What they mean by dissent “isn’t expressing dissatisfaction or annoyance; it’s voicing ideas or concerns that go against the commonly held opinions of the group. When organizations encourage dissent, they’re less susceptible to groupthink. Leaders can tap into multiple perspectives and diverse experiences. Teams can better assess risk and opportunity. When people feel free to challenge the status quo, continuous improvement and innovation flourish [my emphasis].
On the flip side, there is ample evidence of the disasters that occur when dissent does not surface. Imagine how history could be different if Boeing engineers had felt free to say to their bosses, “Your emphasis on speed is having a disastrous impact on safety.” Imagine how current Boeing workers feel about the fact that not one, but two, recent Boeing whistleblowers have turned up DEAD.
Leading Edge reminds us that “productive dissent is not the norm in most organizations. Cultivating it takes intention and effort. Using specific leadership behaviors is vital to success."
Four of their top methods are:
Don’t mistake civility for harmony. Leaders must model that we address issues openly and directly, because unresolved issues jeopardize relationships and performance.
Be skeptical of your own point of view. Keep an open mind. Many leaders ask for feedback when they’ve already made up their minds. What they’re looking for is buy-in. Instead of hearing and internalizing alternative points of view, they focus on overcoming objections and selling their ideas. [Not the way to get the most out of dissenting views.]
Create dissent. Stimulate the conversation by asking specific questions. Instead of a benign “Does anyone have anything to add,” say, “Who can offer a contrarian view?” or “What’s a different perspective we can consider?” Another option is to set a precedent that no important decision is finalized if the team has zero questions or objections.
Pay attention to what happens with dissenting views. People need to know that the risk of dissenting is worth the reward. Do dissenting points of view get a fair hearing? Do they lead to change? Are people recognized for speaking up? Do you tell stories about how challenging the status quo made a difference?
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