Manjunatha K
Healthy argument within the team opens up new opportunities as the only differentiating factor for human with other animals is thinking ability. The power of thinking and intelligence of the team can be utilized only when there is an open environment where team members can freely share their knowledge, argue to sharpen their thinking and shape their thoughts. It is the primary responsibility of the manager to provide such an open environment. Manager must understand that every communication with his team is the “moment of truth” in winning the hearts to build a positive, healthy and enlightening environment where creativity of the team is nurtured and flourished to take the organization to newer heights. Manager should build a culture where members should feel very comfortable to point out mistakes if any with the Manager. Only the team members can observe the activities and behavior of the manager. Feedback and inputs from the team is the biggest and most valuable asset a Manager must have. It is humanly impossible for a Manager to be perfect all the times, but unfortunately most of the managers behave as if they are very perfect with their own team and close this most valuable channel of getting feedback. It is very easy for human to slip into the mode of argument and use all intelligence to win the argument. Winning an argument gives the feeling of success. When people get into argument, they easily forget the end result. Most of the time meeting goes endless and each one in the meeting room starts to exhibit their intelligence in winning the argument, at the end most of them forget the agenda of the meeting. Winning the argument is an addiction, it is in our biology! Generally people associate winning an argument with the success. When one start an argument the brain sense the movement towards the success and generates a bit of Dopamine in the striatum and prefrontal cortex. The job of dopamine is to encourage and generates energy to act, that intern drives the further argument… Winning an argument is very easy for a manger, and also it is easy to get into the argument mode as human biology also pulls for the same. Normally team does not get into argument whether manager is right or not, unless they have deep rooted trust with the manager. Team feels that arguing with the manager or a leader is only waste of time as manager is authority over the members. Unfortunately most of the managers when they get into argument with the team, tend to forget that they have authority over team as well and team do not feel healthy to get into argument in most of the times unless they have vulnerability based trust and have very high sense of security. Otherwise they feel further argument will only damage their credibility and mere waste of time. Whenever manager is with his team he should cross the general biological limitations to build a strong relation with the team. It is essential to have a deep rooted trust or so called vulnerability based trust within the team, where team can freely share their vulnerability without having sense of fear or insecurity. There is a story, once Manger got angry and said “go to hell”, member started packing without even thinking. This should be the level of unquestioned trust with the Manager and the team. Manager should constantly focus on winning the hearts, rather an argument. Manager should work towards building a vulnerability based trust within team. This is the basic and essential requirement for the team to function.
