Why Managers Fail

1. "We must do X."
2. "I know everyone agrees with me."

The false consensus effect: Our minds falsely believe that everyone around us overwhelmingly agree with our opinions.

Manager Shishka decides on a strategy; he starts thinking everyone agrees with him because no one challenges his opinion.

FRABAAAAMMMMMM!

He gets his strategy wrong, and comes up with another failed strategy that he again believes everyone around him wants  -- but, doesn't realize that they're talking about his lousy ideas behind his back.

We human peeps suck at understanding the opinions of others; it's a reason why bosses suck because they falsely believe that Jen, Bob, Susie, Chuck, Fro, Meg, and Dikembe really do agree with everything they say.

1. "When I was younger, my bosses SUCKED!" they'll tell themselves.
2. "But now, my peeps are lucky because they're getting a great boss in ME, who does everything right, and does everything everyone wants!" they'll scream, not realizing that they too suck and their own peeps also are criticizing their lousy ideas.

If you're a boss, how do you combat your human mind that subconsciously tries to protect you from believing opposing opinions exist?

CHALLENGE YO-SELF

Managers who actively try to find 10000000000000 holes in their ideas win.

You have an idea; you think it's the greatest idea in the world.

BUT WAIT!

Ever listen to someone else's idea that s/he thought was the greatest in the world, and you found 100000000000000 holes in it?

Now, do the same thing to yourself: find the same 100000000000000 holes in your super idea, and start embracing constant critique to discover the truly great idea hidden beneath the surface.

You'll build greater strategies, greater teams, greater foundations to build your ridiculously good business by constantly challenging/questioning/beating-the-mother-Fster out of everything you do for your-customers/the-world.

Great societies come from great debate.

Debate helps you gradually wither elementary stuff down to the truly awesome stuff.

DANCE MACHINE WIN

Challenge yourself.

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