RULE 30

Don’t always have to have the last word

Yes, yes, I know you are the boss, the manager – and a damn good one, may I say – but you don’t always have to have the last word. This isn’t like being kids in the playground.

If people in your team disagree with you openly, then there are two possible reasons why: either they feel confident enough to engage in debate (in which case you ought to appreciate that) or they are out of line and you aren’t imposing discipline enough to stop them. It may well be a warning sign that things are wrong or a sign that things are very right – only you can judge.

If they are out of line and there’s a discipline issue, obviously you need to deal with that in private. Otherwise, remember that your staff are grown-ups. You have to give them room to be real people and that means they will sometimes disagree, argue and get cross. That’s fine in a good team where people can sound off and nobody takes umbrage. It obviously doesn’t work in a poor team.

It doesn’t pay always to have the last word or always to be right or always to correct staff on every little thing. Sometimes, whether they are right or wrong, it’s best to let it go. Know the difference between things important enough that you need to have the last word, and things where it really doesn’t matter.