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I don't understand what this article is about, but it made me self conscious about something I believe to be productive (and enjoy) doing. Whenever I'm communic

I don't understand what this article is about, but it made me self conscious about something I believe to be productive (and enjoy) doing. Whenever I'm communicated of a decision the team reached without me (because I wasn't in the project yet, for example), my first Instinct is to poke holes in it and try and see how it can fail so we can think about it together. It's helped me immensely over my career, but now I'm starting to wonder if it just introduces chaos.

Bjartr 6y ago
I think doing that can be framed in different ways, some more chaos inducing than others. If you dive straight into poking holes, it might be chaotic. In the other hand if you frame it as "I'd like to ask some questions about why we made this decision the way we did to help me understand it and get me onto the same page as the rest of the team, when's a good time?" This makes it clear your goal is understanding the decision and not changing it.
staysaasy 6y ago
(OP - thanks for reading!) Imo asking questions and figuring out where there are holes in a plan is natural, expected, and part of a responsible person's job. In a sibling post Bjartr describes how to do this really well. The chaos-creating behavior that this post referred to is disruptive behavior that accidentally or intentionally distracts the team from accomplishing its goals in a high quality way. Eg disagreeing with or poking holes in a plan in order to get to a good outcome is totally normal – but poking holes just for the hell of it is not. Also if you're worried, I'd consider just asking your teammates for feedback on whether the way you approached situations was helpful. Most people are really amenable to giving this type of feedback.
- Kaze404 6y ago
  > Also if you're worried, I'd consider just asking your teammates for feedback on whether the way you approached situations was helpful. Most people are really amenable to giving this type of feedback. That's a very good idea. Thank you :)
learnstats2 6y ago
I find there are two motivations here. First: "I am seeking to understand", and Second: "I am seeking to cause disruption - perhaps just because my opinion was not centred in the original decision-making process" These can look similar, because the second will disguise itself as the first. Good leadership should permit as much of the first as possible, and stamp out the second. The tips in the article, which are great, make it much easier to quickly distinguish between these two cases.
- staysaasy 6y ago
  100%. Thanks for reading! My partner actually wrote about the second case you described as well: https://staysaasy.com/management/2020/07/01/Dont-Block-Projects.html https://staysaasy.com/management/2020/07/01/Dont-Block-Proje...

Bjartr 6y ago

I think doing that can be framed in different ways, some more chaos inducing than others. If you dive straight into poking holes, it might be chaotic. In the other hand if you frame it as "I'd like to ask some questions about why we made this decision the way we did to help me understand it and get me onto the same page as the rest of the team, when's a good time?" This makes it clear your goal is understanding the decision and not changing it.

staysaasy 6y ago

(OP - thanks for reading!) Imo asking questions and figuring out where there are holes in a plan is natural, expected, and part of a responsible person's job. In a sibling post Bjartr describes how to do this really well. The chaos-creating behavior that this post referred to is disruptive behavior that accidentally or intentionally distracts the team from accomplishing its goals in a high quality way. Eg disagreeing with or poking holes in a plan in order to get to a good outcome is totally normal – but poking holes just for the hell of it is not. Also if you're worried, I'd consider just asking your teammates for feedback on whether the way you approached situations was helpful. Most people are really amenable to giving this type of feedback.

Kaze404 6y ago
> Also if you're worried, I'd consider just asking your teammates for feedback on whether the way you approached situations was helpful. Most people are really amenable to giving this type of feedback. That's a very good idea. Thank you :)

learnstats2 6y ago

I find there are two motivations here. First: "I am seeking to understand", and Second: "I am seeking to cause disruption - perhaps just because my opinion was not centred in the original decision-making process" These can look similar, because the second will disguise itself as the first. Good leadership should permit as much of the first as possible, and stamp out the second. The tips in the article, which are great, make it much easier to quickly distinguish between these two cases.

staysaasy 6y ago
100%. Thanks for reading! My partner actually wrote about the second case you described as well: https://staysaasy.com/management/2020/07/01/Dont-Block-Projects.html https://staysaasy.com/management/2020/07/01/Dont-Block-Proje...