In defence of argument and debate

Healthy, constructive debate results in better creative and organisational performance. People that are prepared to challenge the status quo should be celebrated.

I had some feedback on a document this week that was brutal. As burns go it set my screen on fire.

It was so brutal that a colleague on the email copy line called me to express sympathy.

Maybe I’ve become deadened with age, but I took it for what it was, a disagreement with my idea and not a slight on my character.

I was being called on to do better. I picked up the phone prepared to argue my case but quickly realised that I’d made a wrong call and set about a rewrite.

We’ve lost the ability to debate and argue in society. It’s a combination of the polarisation of discourse and political correctness. It’s unwelcome.

Please don’t get me wrong. Feedback should be constructive and never personal. But robust feedback is an important part of the creative and development process.

We must cling on to argument and debate in professional life. It’s not just politics and the law where it should be encouraged.

People that are prepared to challenge the status quo should be celebrated and not chastised.

Academics must be able to debate and defend their research and theories.

Creatives should be passionate about their ideas.

Executives in a boardroom should be able to debate issues related to the purpose of their organisation.

Journalists should be able to pitch and defend a story idea to an editor.

The alternative is drab, boring work. It’s group think and organisational errors. No one wants that.