I'm not saying everyone does this but I know I do from time to time - I take a position or have an opinion without fully considering the opposing viewpoint. It's actually a bit of a defense or productivity mechanism along the lines of bias to run with something without giving full thought to all aspects. In many cases, simple ones, we don't need to overcomplicate things. However, in complicated situations we need to understand the perspective of the other person. In construction, this is especially critical when negotiating disputed conditions or change orders. Understanding the exact details of someone's position helps us connect with them and it also helps us develop our position in a way that they can understand and relate to their perspective. We should be able to present our position in a way that doesn't require any additional explanation outside of presenting it in the first place. When we make it that simple and connect the dots so well to the other person's key points, we have a good chance of negotiating something that feels like a win to us. The simple version of this is:
"Never allow yourself to have an opinion on a subject unless you can state the opposing argument better than the opposition can."
Comments