Being the dumbest person in the meeting doesn’t mean it’s bad
“I have a problem here and I have no idea how to fix it. Can anyone give me a solution?” asked the meeting chairperson.
“This is so simple, is he sure he doesn’t know about it? Or is it a trap?” thought A.
“Gosh, our boss is clueless? Is he really that stupid like what other people said?” thought B.
No, the chairperson or the boss is not dumb and is not stupid. If he has no idea, he will admit he doesn’t know. Or, even if he knows, it is good to assume he doesn’t so that he can be open to suggestions and ideas. Being the dumbest person in the meeting doesn’t mean you are weak. It will actually make you feel humble and let the people around you to help you out, the people who are ’smarter’ than you.
In my opinion, this kind of chairperson or boss is much better than someone who goes into a meeting with gun blazing. Like this.
“Ok, now I have this problem. And I need you all to do this and that,” said the boss.
“But I think we can do this instead, it looks and sounds better,” answered A.
“No. I don’t think that is good. I already have this plan well thought out,” replied the boss.
“I better keep quiet since the boss thinks he’s the smartest and will reject all ideas,” thought B.
I think at the end of the day, it’s not whether the boss can get his way or whether who is smarter and who is dumber – the important thing is to come out with the best solution for the problem. And to do that, the person organizing the meeting must regard his own solution as the worst and gather everything he could – and finally deciding which solution is the best (his and other people’s solutions). There’s really no point to call a meeting and you go in with guns to shoot down everyone’s ideas.
So, be honest with your feedback and opinions (being quiet doesn’t help either), but at the same time be humble and be dumb (not act dumb and remain quiet). Remember, this is about regarding yourselves as someone dumb in order to throw your ego out of the door and not about you being ignorant and oblivious in a meeting. Ignorant and oblivious WILL NOT help anyone.
Hope it helps.
I’ve to admit that that’s what I usually do. Even if I know, I will still act dumb. I believe that it’s the best way to learn from others. If I tell people that I know about the topic, he/she will assumes that I’m an “expert” hence less explanation given. If I tell people that I’ve no idea, he/she will starts to explain (some even thoroughly). For me, that’s how I learn. ;p
ingchias last blog post..Maori drawings in Waikari
@ ingchia
Just make sure you do voice out once everyone else is finished or when someone else is organizing the meeting, you should voice out and not keep quiet.
In my experience, in the situation you described its easier to work with people conditioned to be critical thinkers than those conditioned to conform to rules. Its very hard to tell people to open up when they’ve been conditioned in a system where questioning and critique comes with painful consequences. Such people may fit well in a production floor but in strategic positions? Big mistake.
The moral of the story: If you’re the boss and you really, really want people to contribute intelligently, be very careful of who you hire into the team.
@ Damien
Apparently, we have tonnes of such people in the strategic positions. Even for those who are not being raised up in this “system”, they will gradually blend into it and become “nothing” after a while especially if they are the only people who try to change things and constantly being pushed away by the bosses.