Advocacy and Inquiry

We often promote people who know how to present clearly and argue strongly for their views. If you come to conclusions behind closed doors and then advocate for your team to "adopt" them you're missing key insights and passing blind spots onto your team.

The goal is to balance advocacy and inquiry. You do this first describing your reasoning and thinking, and then second encouraging others to challenge it.

  • Here is my view and here is how I have arrived at it. How does it sound to you?

  • What makes sense to you and what doesn't?

  • Do you see any ways I can improve it?


The goal is to find the best solution, and the best solution comes from being vulnerable to explaining your thinking, identifying your own shortcomings and inviting critical feedback. When people and organizations create a culture of balancing advocacy and inquiry the results can be a true competitive advantage.

Don't care about your ideas getting implemented. Care about finding and implementing the best ideas.











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