Why We Need Rigorous Debate

My favorite book, Jim Collins’ Good to Great, is full of principles that can be applied to real life. In the past 12 months I must have told at least 100 people to go read Chapter 5, “The Hedgehog Concept.” This chapter is about identifying your passion, your “one big thing,” and figuring out what drives your economic engine and where you can be number one. These days, thanks to the tough economy, focus is a key to solid execution and success. Management teams need to continually challenge their hedgehog concept to ensure that they’re working smart.

Another principle Collins discusses in Good to Great is the necessity of management teams engaging in rigorous debate. There will be some screaming and hollering, feelings may be hurt and opposing viewpoints will be aired. It can be messy, but it ensures that management teams turn over every rock and consider every option before finding the best plan or execution strategy. The key is that everyone is dedicated to the common goal of finding the right answer for the long term success of the business.

In the public realm, the rigorous debate principle can be applied to a topic that’s dominating the news: health care reform.

As a confessed political junkie (and a vocal Libertarian), I think our government has a lot of issues. I’m constantly frustrated by the lobbyists, the PACs, the dirty, self-serving politicians and the seemingly broken process of getting things done. But the fact that there are people out there ready to engage in a rigorous debate about this issue helps me keep hope alive. Let’s give a round of applause to the people of the United States who are standing up and getting involved with this issue. With a topic as important as health care reform, I say the more debate, the better.  Keep on exercising your First Amendment rights, and in the end we’ll find the best answer for our country.

Peace out!

JB

If you enjoyed this post, please consider to leave a comment or subscribe to the feed and get future articles delivered to your feed reader.