COURAGE (NOT) TO SPEAK

"Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen."

Winston Churchill, 20th century British politician.

It is often far more difficult to do the latter than the former.

And very often the right thing.

WHAT YOU SAY, HOW YOU SAY IT, BOTH EQUALLY IMPORTANT

"The first principle of a free society is an untrammeled flow of words in an open forum."

Adlai E. Stevenson II, 20th century American politician

In society, at work, in all relationships; you have a right to express your opinion, along with an obligation to do so in an honest, respectful way.

YOUR WAY, MY WAY, THE RIGHT WAY

"If everyone is thinking alike, then somebody isn't thinking."

George S. Patton, General US Army WWII

Differences of opinion must ultimately be resolved if there is to be unanimous, or close to it, support for whatever is to be done.

Just not initially.

In the beginning the task is to identify the right way, created from bits and pieces of all possible ways.  

CHECK YOURSELF

"If all printers were determined not to print anything till they were sure it would offend nobody, there would be very little printed."

Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790) American statesman/scientist/philosopher.

Mr. Franklin advises us to do and say what need be done and said, knowing there will be those who disagree with us.

Agreed.

But we have an equal obligation to be as certain as we can that what we say and do should be said and done.

Not all of it should be.

DESTRUCTIVE MANAGEMENT

"When I want your opinion I'll give it to you."

Laurence J. Peter (1919-1990) Canadian teacher and writer.

I doubt Mr. Peter was this way however there are many who are, many of whom are bosses.

I can think of nothing more destructive.

WHAT'D YA KNOW?

"Where an opinion is general, it is usually correct."

Jane Austen (1775-1817) English novelist.

The more accurate your specific opinion proves to be, the more valuable it, and by extension, you, will be to others.

Accurate and specific; one without the other doesn't work.

YOU DO AGREE WITH ME DON'T YOU?

"We think very few people sensible, except those who are of our opinion."

François de La Rochefoucauld (1613-1680) French writer.

The trouble with this is our opinions become inbred when they are mostly or only our opinions.

JUDGE NOT LEST YOU BE JUDGED

"Our judgments judge us, and nothing reveals us, exposes our weaknesses, more ingeniously than the attitude of pronouncing upon our fellows."

Paul Válery (1871-1945) French poet/essayist/philosopher.

The "gate" of your judgment of others swings both out on them and back in on you.

CAPTIVE TO OPINIONS YOU INSIST ARE TRUE

"An obstinate person does not hold opinions; they hold him."

Alexander Pope (1688-1744) English poet and satirist.

It's not so much a matter of your opinions being true as it is your insistence they are. 

Once you reject alternative views you give up your own right of choice.

BUT EVERYONE THINKS SO

"The voice of the majority is no proof of justice."

Friedrich Schiller (1759-1805) German dramatist/poet/historian.

Nor validation that what the masses believe is correct.

Question what the majority believes as much as you listen to it.

WHAT DO YOU THINK?

"He never chooses an opinion, he just wears whatever happens to be in style."

Leo Tolstoy (1828-1910) Russian writer

"Never", which means "he" is always following the flavor of the day opinions of others.

We should all be influenced by a multitude of opinions, including our own, always changing.

TOO MUCH OF TWO, NOT ENOUGH OF ONE

"Opinion is the medium between knowledge and ignorance."

Plato 

4th century BC Greek philosopher

Of greater importance is that most people can't tell the difference, not for others and certainly not for themselves.

Forget others, just concentrate on you.

Assume more ignorance than knowledge, acting accordingly, and you'll often end with the reverse being true.

I'LL TELL YOU WHAT'S RIGHT!

"It is not who is right, but what is right, that is of importance."

Thomas H. Huxley

19th century English biologist

One of the top ten most important, least practiced principles in life, in general, business in particular.

Any Opinion On This?

"Taste has no system and no proofs."

Susan Sontag

20th century American author

Keep this in mind the next time you attempt to "prove" your point about something that is a matter of taste.

Particularly in business.

Stagnant Thinking

"The man who never alters his opinion is like standing water, and breeds reptiles of the mind."

William Blake

18th century British poet/painter

Notice there is no qualification regarding which opinion.

All opinion.

If you don't believe that to be true, it's time to alter your opinion.

Let's Ask Bill

"Consult.  To seek another's approval of a course already decided on."

Ambrose Bierce

19th century American newspaperman

As a strategy/planning/"change" consultant, I can attest to this.

How much opinion do you ask for where the real intent is just to support what you've already decided to to do?

I'll Tell You What I Think

"Opinion is the medium between knowledge and ignorance."

Plato

3rd century BC Greek philosopher

How appropriate towards the end of this political season where once again there is far too much of two of these, not nearly enough of the third.

And don't think this is just confined to politics.  It's not.

Every aspect of our lives is based more on opinion and ignorance than knowledge.

We just don't act as though that were true.

Books and Covers

"Examine what is said, not he who speaks."

Arabian proverb

Unfortunately it is more often the latter rather than the former, usually for all the wrong reasons.

What people think and say should be the basis for deciding who they are.

How they look is only the cover of their book.

Listen To The (Right) Voice Of The Customer

"It is the folly of too many to mistake the echo of a London coffee house for the voice of the kingdom."

Jonathan Swift

17th century Irish satirist

Business translation:  If you need to understand what your customers think, which you do, make sure you get those opinions from a sample representative of everyone, and not just some small faction who are easy to survey, more vocal than the rest, or both.

Opinion: How Do You See Things?

"Self-doubt is the little voice in your head saying "You can do it!" and the big voice saying "I wish you would" . . . listen to the little voice."

Sean O'Donnell

NHL Hockey Player

Some of you have privately told me you don't feel qualified to comment on what you read here. Certainly the number of comments is a fraction of the number who subscribe to the feed.

If we were only getting a lot of input from business "experts" I would judge BW a failure and would have shut it down long ago.

The intent was and is to create a place where people in business, regardless of which business or their position, could go to exchange thoughts and ideas.

Ok, now what do you think?