Working Code Podcast - Episode 94: Disagree And Commit

People don't burn out because they have too much work to do, they burn out because they feel powerless. And, for me, feeling powerless correlates strongly with doing work that I doesn't believe in. Which is why I've never understood the notion of, "Disagree and commit". After all, in order to quell the feelings of dissent, I often have to numb a fundamental part of who I am; and, I'm convinced that such a technique can't be good for the overall creative process.

To quote Elie Wiesel:

The opposite of love is not hate, it's indifference. The opposite of art is not ugliness, it's indifference. The opposite of faith is not heresy, it's indifference. And the opposite of life is not death, it's indifference.

So what is the opposite of disagreement? Is it agreement? Or, is it indifference? And, if it is indifference, are those really the kind of people you want working on your product? Are they the ones that will have the right instincts, and empathy, and desire to do the right thing?

That said, some - maybe much - of disagreement comes down to poor communication and a failure to clearly articulate ideas and a value proposition. I know there have been many times where I don't agree with a concept until the Product Designer / Manager sits down and walks through the concept in depth. So, I wonder how much of the disagree and commit mindset can be chalked up to laziness on behalf of people trying (or rather not trying) to sell an idea internally?

All that and more on this week's show:

... featuring these beautiful, beautiful people:

• Adam Tuttle → Website, Twitter, LinkedIn
• Carol Weiler → Twitter, LinkedIn
• Tim Cunningham → Twitter, LinkedIn
• Ben Nadel (that's me) → Website, Twitter, LinkedIn

With audio editing and engineering by ZCross Media.

For the full show notes and links, visit the episode page. And, be sure to follow the show and come chat with us on Discord! Our website is workingcode.dev and we're @WorkingCodePod on Twitter and Instagram. New episodes drop weekly on Wednesday.

Short link: https://bennadel.com/4329