Your child slogged away on their school assignment for weeks, or the team labored away at the marketing report or new internal directive and produced a sound product. Along the way, others provided guidance and input. The project is coming to an end, and it is ready for broader reveal and consumption.
Upon closer review, you now decide to prefer orange rather than yellow. The report will look better with the rows and columns reversed. You pick a different word to the one used, or the images selected need to be replaced with better ones.
Stop for a moment. That is your opinion. How valid is it? Is it better than other people’s? Where were you earlier in the development process to help and support? And do you appreciate that you have now dampened their enthusiasm and caused them to withdraw? Was that something they were proud of that you have now diminished and, in effect, made your own? Yes, maybe your opinion is the one that matters most, even though it may not be appreciated by those who view it.
There is value to the appropriate input and to be contemplated. However, if you continue to shut others down, you will only dampen and marginalize the effort they have made in the future. Is having the final word what matters most?
