One lesson that I have learnt if you are a CEO, exec, or expert within an area in your company, you have to be careful about giving your opinion away too early as people will copy it.
One lesson that I have learnt if you are a CEO, exec, or expert within an area in your company, you have to be careful about giving your opinion away too early as people will copy it.
Naturally your team thinks you have got more context on a topic because of your seniority or expertise. People already have a lot on their minds and don't want to always use their brain energy, therefore it's easier and sometimes safer to just agree with you.
For example, as a CEO you believe you should focus the business on a particular ideal customer profile. Now everyone in the company knows that all departments report into you and therefore have all the context. You have more information. Therefore if as CEO, you ask someone their opinion and they're close to 50% agreeing with your view, it’s safer to simply agree. I expect people to do their own due diligence but if the decision needs to be quickly made, the safer option is usually taken.
A smarter and more patient alternative is to ask people for their opinion before you give yours or perhaps even get them to write it down. This allows them to think through the problem and they may surprise you. Also when you give your opinion after their one, they will learn more in the process and there is a natural buy-in. Setting aside your expectations may result in outcomes you could not anticipate. Then, instead of creating bias, you’re encouraging a culture of collaboration.
This is a pretty obvious thing to know but we forget due to the fast pace and our eagerness to execute.
