Power Play: There’s never a need to offend

Power Players know how to dissent and disagree without offending. And this is harder to do than one would think.

It means choosing your words very carefully and (almost) rehearsing your dissent in your head before blurting it out loud.

Disagreement delivered in a good way can actually be charming, believe it or not. Here’s one I heard recently which knocked my socks off: ‘You are extraordinarily good at your job and you’re a joy to work with but this idea of yours is not at all good. In fact, it’s a stinker. I disagree with you that we can’t find a better idea. You have before and you will again’. It’s a direct torpedoing of an idea without ever offending.

There’s no need to offend. It’s shortsighted and evidence of lazy thinking. People will see your feedback as justified and they won’t be sidetracked by the delivery. Start practising now.