Most of claim we're willing to see the truth. But exposing the truth, especially the unpleasant truth, takes courage and commitment. It requires a rigorous and relentless process of evaluation and accountability. Which is sometimes contentious and often uncomfortable.
To be completely honest, conflict is uncomfortable for me. But when I give in to my desire for harmony, I do a serious disservice to our company. In his book, The Five Temptations of a CEO, Patrick Lencioni asks these questions:
"Do you prefer your meetings to be pleasant and enjoyable?"
"Do you get uncomfortable at meetings if your direct reports argue?"
"Do you often make peace or try to reconcile direct reports who are at odds with one another?"
I'm so busted. But I'm getting better. Lencioni is right. We need productive conflict. We need people to disagree and challenge each other openly. We need a systematic process to seek the truth.
