frank and honest opinion

The performance of a company is heavily influenced by its culture. However, today I just want to touch on one particular culture: frank and honest opinion. 

This culture is evidently absent in most of Malaysian companies. Is it due to the Malaysian/ asian culture? We always refrain from giving a different view because we do not want to offend the person next to you. When they say you need to give “constructive comment” what they really meant was don’t say anything negative. Even if the matter excruciatingly sucks, you need to give that dude thumbs up!

We have taught not to be confrontational. Those who give different view are seen to be combative and looking for a fight. In malay they call “orang yang suka cari pasal/gaduh”

This is an eschewed understanding and can be harmful to any organisation.

If you cannot have different view or opinion, then what is the point having a meeting/discussion/brainstorming/ chill out session whatever name you call it. 

Company like Bridgewater Associates, LP an investment company that manages about $150 billion in global investment hires the smartest people they can find. They stress-tested their opinion with each other. If the associates think that the senior associates or even the top management is wrong, they write an email expressing their opinion and CC the email to everyone. Can you name one company in Malaysia that do this?

The take away from this is always hire smart people to “sit in the bus”.

Its simple logic. Smart people learn from each other. Stupid people do not want to learn. They are so ignorant that they want to stay ignorant. Changes takes lot of effort. Stupid people resist changes because it is too hard for them to change. They even feel tired in thinking of the changes. Changes requires you  to unlearn and relearn everything. Its an extra effort both physically and mentally. People are not born stupid. They become stupid because they do not want to put an extra effort to better themselves. 

When pointed out their mistake, they will turn around and say “I work hard for this but you only know how to comment. You hurt my feelings”. 

If a company allow this to be the culture, the company will not be able to innovate because good ideas will be suppressed and the company will repeat the mistake over and over again. Remember, stupid people resist changes. The effect is that the company will not change for the better. The only direction that these companies will go is backward.

The best way is to nurture a culture where all employee is able to freely speak up their mind. The management must be equally smart to constructively engage with its employee in the discussion. In any discussion, the best idea win, not the rank. Smart people looks for new challenge. Competitive attitude what drive their adrenalin rush. Always looking for ways to create something new, better, and more efficient. 

Thats how you build up innovative culture.