In some cultures, it is still considered an art among many to engage in passionate, convincing debate. It really doesn’t matter what your view is, but rather the process and the pleasure of engaging in debate with individuals who have differing opinions. Individuals welcome the opportunity for debate, to challenge, to hear, and to convince.
Yet in many workplace cultures, a debate is seen as an absolute taboo. Individuals shy away from debate, and should someone ask you a question or directly oppose your thought with their own, it may be considered heresy and a sign of disloyalty or confrontation.
How do we grow if we are not open to discussion? How can we improve if we are not challenged? After all, our perspectives are already known to us and if we choose to ignore outside perspectives, we stagnate and remain mired in fixed and limited thinking.
Possibly, we should encourage teams and groups to set aside time to specifically engage in debate. Not that we seek a winner, but instead we seek to take the time to learn other perspectives.
