What are you like with getting feedback from someone on a public platform such as LinkedIn?
I am fully aware that there are trolls whose intention is to insult, disrupt or hurt; but this post is about healthy, robust debate.
This week I had a virtual meeting with a consultant and coached him on the value he provides for his clients. Alternatively, he professionally, respectfully and vigorously challenged me on some of my business approaches.
I welcomed it, as it was stimulating and intellectually rewarding because he took the time to give his perspective.
He later said I had read your posts, some were interesting, thought-provoking and some I disagreed with. What was interesting was that he never commented on any of the posts.
I compared this with someone online who challenged one of my comments this week, and as much as I welcomed it, I was nervous about responding for fear of offending and it blowing up into something entirely unwarranted.
I recall another connection who wrote a post about coaches and consultants and I took the risk of challenging his view which led to us exchanging emails, a conversation, a pint and a packet of crisps sometime later – pre-COVID. The point is the debate provoked healthy professional discussion and a respectful relationship.
Are we afraid to disagree or give a different perspective for fear of reprisals or someone taking it personally?
Admittedly, having a debate on social media platforms like LinkedIn has its drawbacks, but I have had some interesting conversations and learned a lot.
If we remain professionally friendly, does that mean we can miss an opportunity to grow and end up staying in our own echo chamber?
Yes, this is likely and reminds me of a comment by a mentor, Mort, never believe your own press clippings?
Until we meet.
