The Woman Who Knew Too Much

"If we aren't going to be afraid of conflict, we have to see it as thinking." - Margaret Heffernan

On a professional level, all too much, those that disagree are seen in negative connotations. Oftentimes, these individuals are deeply misunderstood. As Heffernan points out, most individuals instinctively avoid conflict and fall victim to being an echo chamber (which is a new term for me, and frankly, I like it because it accurately describes 'yes' people). By avoiding conflict to merely "get along" ofttimes leads individuals and organizations astray.

Colleagues should first seek first to understand, then to be understood. They should also employ Covey's Habit #6: synergy. Just because someone doesn't agree with you, does not mean that you cannot work together toward the greater good. All too often, people flock to those that are like them. Heffernan pointed this out, too. Like the doctor she discussed in her TED talk, Alice Stewart, worked with statistician George Neal to strengthen her findings. Dr. Stewart properly used synergy! As a result, pregnant women today are not X-rayed, and she found the reason why children were being diagnosed with cancer.

Synergy

It is clear that Kiran Sethi, founder of the Riverside School in Ahmedebad, believes in synergy. By teaching students the valuable lesson of 'I can', her students made a real difference in their homes, their community, and ultimately their country. Her students also learned the valuable lesson of synergy, which combines the strengths of individuals through positive teamwork, so as to achieve goals that would have been more difficult if done alone. To synergize, one must understand that there is not only one way to go about doing things. By working together, the students accomplished more than they would have acting alone.

{{To relate this back to what is going on in my world:}}
I am currently working on a project that I simply could not accomplish by myself for many reasons. This directly correlates back to Sharpening the Saw and spending the majority of my time in Quadrant II. By delegating work to qualified others has allowed me to place my energy into the things that are my highest priority.

{[Interesting (& funny) photos of unique teamwork and synergy:}}