Having your say

Photo by McBeths Photography

I don’t have a lot of patience for people who are slower than me.

I pride myself on being hyper-efficient.  I make decisions quickly. I put them into practice. Push, push, push.

Not everyone shares that pace.

Have you ever had the experience of just sort of knowing the right answer, but no one else sees it?  And after hours of discussion and argument and Mountain Dew, the group finally lands on the solution you proposed? Only no one remembers it was your idea in the first place?

I hate that.

Here’s the thing: people need that process.

Being right is not good enough.  It doesn’t justify not giving people their say. Everyone has the right to express themselves.

So what if they’re wrong? So what if it takes a little longer? When people feel heard, they feel good about themselves and they believe they are contributing to the team.

Next time you start thinking that other people are terribly inconvenient, remember the human cost of not letting people have their say.