Field Notes

Good leaders encourage team members to speak their minds and disagree when they feel it is important to do so. 

But even with the most open and receptive leaders, team members must follow a commonsense protocol to avoid ruffling feathers or creating ill will.  

This age-old formula is worth articulating now and again. Here are the six core ground rules: 

Rule One: Do it in private. 

Leaders are naturally sensitive to being criticized or disagreed with in front of other team members. In a desire to maintain their credibility in the eyes of others, leaders can overreact to disagreement when it occurs in group settings. 

Smart team members reserve strong disagreement for private conversations, eliminating the need for leaders to save face. 

Rule Two: Emphasize the positive from the start. 

Leaders, like everyone else, find disagreement more palatable when it begins with common ground and agreement. Begin the conversation by emphasizing where you agree. State this in a positive light to set the stage for disagreement. 

Rule Three: Make it data-driven if possible. 

Opinions are not as powerful as facts. Whenever possible, make sure to back up your viewpoints with data. 

Build a case for why you disagree by relying heavily on what the data says and not on the disagreement itself. If that data involves other people’s perceptions, ask them to be available to share their views directly. 

Rule Four: Carry criticism with questions more than assertions.

Disagreement, like other forms of feedback, can be expressed through questions rather than through statements. Questions are more indirect and do not come across as evaluative as assertions. 

Think about how to state the disagreement in a question form. If you can’t figure out a way to ask it as a question, you are more interested in making your point than being effective. 

Any disagreement can be stated as a question. 

Rule Five: Find the right time to disagree. 

Don’t raise the disagreement when the leader is highly distracted or under extreme stress. Try not to select a time when they will be sensitive to your disagreement, such as after bad news or when other people have expressed their disagreement in a group setting. 

Rule Six: Come prepared with a solution. 

Disagreement without a solution, remedy, or path forward will be heard as a complaint. Constructive team members don’t just point out problems. They offer suggestions for improvement or how to address the disagreement. 

If done correctly, disagreement with your leader can foster new insights for both parties. It’s a sign that you are willing to be candid and feel comfortable doing so. Most leaders desire this honesty if executed with respect. 

The ground rules require you to hold the leader in high regard. Disagreement in any other form is considered rebellious dissent. That doesn’t help anyone.