Right vs. Right

“RIGHT VS. RIGHT” dilemmas, managed as “right vs. wrong” arguments, tear a group apart.

When conversations deteriorate into disagreements that disintegrate into arguments, the great misperception is that one position must be right and others must be wrong. The effect of this misperception on a group or organization can be as debilitating and destructive as GOSSIP. Quick recognition, that a collision of two “rights” is the source of an escalating argument, enables a leader to intervene, resolve the tension, and reorient the team toward its To Be. (CORE PRIME)

What happens when the needs of the team are in conflict with the needs of a specific individual? “Good for the short term” vs. “Good for the long term” and “Good for the part” vs. “Good for the whole” are the root of many business related arguments. It is right to argue for short-term solutions, AND it is right to argue in favor of long-term solutions. The same is true for “part” vs. “whole” (BIG HAT – LITTLE HAT).

No single answer exists for resolving the intractable RIGHT VS. RIGHT dilemmas; however, the RESOLUTION PRINCIPLES PRIME provides ways to handle and resolve colliding rights. Resolution is critical, because getting stuck and standing still for too long is dangerous and may be fatal to your efforts.

IN ACTION

When you observe an argument in your organization, evaluate it for a RIGHT VS. RIGHT dilemma, honor all the rights being championed to diffuse debilitating negativity, and encourage everyone to give up trying to “win” by making others “wrong.”

SO WHAT?

Unchecked, RIGHT vs. RIGHT arguments expend huge amounts of energy and time to the detriment of the CHANGE or TRANSFORMATION you are seeking to accomplish. This is time and energy you cannot get back, so don’t waste it once you recognize it for what it is. Find a way to end the argument and move forward.

Special thanks to Dr. Rushworth Kidder of the Institute for Global Ethics, for his invaluable insights in developing this PRIME.